Storage problems - (Mar/20/2005 )

1. How long can i store the mediums and where should i store the mediums? Are the storage conditions the same for the medium of bacteria and mammalian cells?

2. Where should i store the enzymes' buffers?

3. Where should i store ordinary buffers?



Thanks for any help.

1.You can store media for as long as you trust them to be clean

Where you store media depends, bacterial media, which are autoclaved usually after preparation, are stored usually at roomtemperature on the self as long as it's not opened. after opening, we store bacterial media in the fridge at 4°C. Cell culture media and related solutions are stored at 4°C all the time in a seperate cooler for cross-contamination reasons.

2.Buffer for restiction enzymes is usually stored at -20°C, or at the temperature the supplier says.

3."Ordinary" buffers is not a precise term. Most buffers like TBE, Tris HCl, SDS-PAGE running buffer, western transfer buffer are stored at RT, while other "ordinary" buffers like coating buffer for elisa-plates, lysis buffer for bacteria, sample buffer for nucleic acids and proteins are stored at 4°C....

mike

hi
generally lbmedia can be stored at room temperature and cell medium should be stored in the fridge. But consider recommendations of your manual/manufacturer

For enzyme buffer, i store an aliquot in the fridge for one month whithout having problems in my digestions.

I agree with jadefalcon for the 3 question.

Hi,

as above, but don't store media containing ampicillin for more than 2 weeks at 4 C. If you have sterile media you can add the antibiotics just before use, which is the best policy.

Otherwise bacterial media are fine at room temperature. For medium to long storage, you should keep them away from direct light, especially if you're working with mycobacteria.

Incidentally, some of John Tyndall's broths, set up in the late 19th century are still sterile, but having worked in a mycology lab I now have reason to suspect that spontaneous generation might actually happen

Hope you find a happy medium.