help with contamination - (Jan/13/2008 )

Ahh yes, the black dots.
The black dots came to my lab via the serum (improper handling in the lab! not the company).
Throw out the serum you are using as well as the media.
We never figured out what they were. It appears that it is either (A) a weird bacterium or
( a myoplasm that results in an increase in debris.
We split the cells with the dots very dilute added antibiotics and the black dots grew back very slowly but they always came back. In our hands the dots lead to the media becoming acidic (as a result of celll metabolism) at a slower rate.
But it is subtle.
Also, some cells such as ZR-75.1 breast cancer cells have alot of debris for some reason but it is clearly debris. So this is also a possibility.
So, in conclusion, throw everything away AND if your experience is the same as mine, the source was the serum being contaminated. Maybe check the serum.

Good luck.

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I was beginning to think we'd lost you for a while there

you tell 'em man

dom

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Dear Dom,

I am just like a mycoplasma, always lurking there in the background, ready to strike unsuspecting victims !

Kindest regards

Rhombus

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