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| Mycoplasma Detection & Prevention |  |
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One of the most common contaminants present in cell culture laboratories are mycoplasma. A conservative estimate states that between 15 – 35% of all continuous cell cultures are contaminated with mycoplasma, some estimates are even higher (up to 80 % in some countries).
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| What are Mycoplasma? |
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 | Belong to the family Mollicutes including Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, Ureaplasma, Entomoplasma, Spiroplasma and other species |
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| Smallest free-living, self-replicating organisms (size: 0.2 μm – 0.8 μm) |
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| Simple prokaryocytes, lacking a rigid cell wall (surrounded by a single plasma membrane) |
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| Usually attached to the external surface of the cell membrane |
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| Relying on their hosts for many nutrients as their biosynthetic capabilities are limited |
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| Over 180 recognized species |
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| Six species account for 95% of all mycoplasma infections in cell cultures (M.orale, M.arginii, M.fermentans, M.salivarum, M.hyorhinis and A.laidlawii) |
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| Widespread in nature as parasites of humans, mammals, reptiles, insects and plants |
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Typical Routes of Mycoplasma Infection in Cell Cultures
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| Cross contamination from untested infected cells
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| Aerosols created during pipetting |
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| Using the same bottle of medium for different cell types |
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| Handling more than 1 cell line in the hood at a time |
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| Contaminated materials |
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| Contaminated donor tissue (< 1%) |
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| Direct infection from the researcher |
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How Insidious Are Mycoplasma?
Contaminations are very difficult to detect or prevent andthe presence of mycoplasma can remain undiscovered for months:
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| In contrast to bacteria they do not cause visible changes in turbidity or pH |
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| Not visible under microscopy, even at very high concentrations >107 cfu/ml |
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| Most routine antibiotics used in cell culture are ineffective against mycoplasma |
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| They are not routinely removed by filtration
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| Mycoplasma contamination can seriously impact the reliability, reproducibility, and consistency of experimental results, representing a major problem for basic research as well as for the manufacturing of bioproducts. Standard testing for mycoplasma is an important quality control that should be included in cell culture protocols. We provide a powerful product offering for reliable detection and successful elimination and prevention of mycoplasma contamination: |
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| MycoAlert™ Mycoplasma Detection Kit – Accurate, reliable and universal mycoplasma detection
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| Lucetta™ Luminometer – Single sample luminometer that provides sensitive luminescence measurement and with a tailor-made mode for MycoAlert™ Mycoplasma Detection Kit
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| MycoZap™ Mycoplasma Elimination Reagent – Successful elimination of mycoplasma with low cell toxicity
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| MycoZap™ Spray – Reliable disinfection of laboratory surfaces from mycoplasma contamination (available in Europe only)
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| MycoZap™ Prophylactic – Prevention of mycoplasma contamination in combination with your antibiotic formula of choice |
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| MycoZap™ Plus-CL and Plus-PR – Protection against a broad range of microbial contaminants, such as Gram(+) and Gram(-) bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma
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