Cell Death from Bacterial or Fungal Contamination (Cell Culture (Cell Death))

Question

Accepted Answer

Media becomes rapidly turbid with visible particles or cloudiness. Cells show signs of toxicity, detachment, and death. Microscopy reveals motile bacteria or fungal filaments. Note: mycoplasma rarely causes acute cell death. Common causes: 1) Breach in aseptic technique: inadequate hand hygiene, non-sterile surfaces, unsterilized equipment 2) Contaminated reagents: bacteria or fungi introduced via non-sterile water, media, or serum 3) Environmental contamination from inadequate biosafety cabinet maintenance or poor HEPA filter integrity 4) Cross-contamination between cultures via shared pipettes, media bottles, or incubator surfaces Solutions: 1) Discard all contaminated cultures immediately; decontaminate incubator with 70% ethanol and UV exposure 2) Re-train personnel on aseptic technique: 70% ethanol hand/glove spray, work in central biosafety cabinet zone 3) Use antibiotics only for primary cell isolation, not routine culture; penicillin 100 U/mL + streptomycin 100 μg/mL 4) Filter-sterilize all media and supplements through 0.22 μm filters; autoclave glassware at 121 °C for 20 min 5) Certify biosafety cabinet every 6 months; clean with 70% ethanol before/after each session 6) Implement weekly incubator cleaning with disinfectant; use copper-lined water pans with biocide