Contamination of Bacillus gram+ - (Jan/23/2007 )
Hello everybody!
Does anybody knows if the staphylococcus (gram+ bacillus) or other bacillus could be the cause of the dead and lysis of our E.coli cultures?
(during last months we have had problems of culture growing, the cultures of E.coli lysate after reaching certain OD. It seems that we had phages in the lab but now we have done analysis of contamination in the lab and we have found out high levels of the staphylococcus)
Does anybody knows if the staphylococcus (gram+ bacillus) or other bacillus could be the cause of the dead and lysis of our E.coli cultures?
(during last months we have had problems of culture growing, the cultures of E.coli lysate after reaching certain OD. It seems that we had phages in the lab but now we have done analysis of contamination in the lab and we have found out high levels of the staphylococcus)
Last I checked Staphylococcus was not a Gram + bacillus, but instead a Gram + cocci. Which do you have a Gram + bacillus or a Staphylococcus?
Ok, what it says in the document of the analysis is that we have Staphylococcus coagulase negative and bacillus (in general) gram + not sporullated ( I really don't know exactly what they are, I am not microbiologist)
Thanks
well, here's an important question:
is your LAB contaminated with Staph and gram+ rods, or are your CULTURES contaminated? you would expect to find tons of Staph and randome gram+ rods in the environment of anything but a sterile 'cleanroom'
I am not trying to be harsh and please don't be offended, but if you can't grow an E coli culture without contaminating it, it would be good to have a microbiologist help you develop some different techniques for culture-handling. is it possible to find someone at your institution who could help you set these experiments up, at least until you get a bit more experience?
Does anybody knows if the staphylococcus (gram+ bacillus) or other bacillus could be the cause of the dead and lysis of our E.coli cultures?
(during last months we have had problems of culture growing, the cultures of E.coli lysate after reaching certain OD. It seems that we had phages in the lab but now we have done analysis of contamination in the lab and we have found out high levels of the staphylococcus)
Two reasons why cultures die are... 1. Bacteriophage 2. Due to some of the toxin or other enzymes produced by other bacteria, fungi, etc... But you say, they get lysed... and mostly or to be precise... always it is due to bacteriophages. Coli phages can lyse ur culture. So, the basic thing is u have to work with a pure culture i.e. E. coli without any other bacteri or viruses. Better get a help from a microbiologist. it can also be something as simple as detergent residue in your flasks. how is your glassware washing done?