Cell Contamination: What you may be overlooking

Learn more about cell line contamination at: event.thermoscientific.com/LP=...
Cell line contamination prevention requires constant vigilance to avoid cross contamination of cells, from your own samples, or from other samples in the lab. Mycoplasma contamination is an often-overlooked occurrence that needs to be avoided at all costs in the lab.

[@funny11744]

Is it possible for media ( L15 +F12) from a flask to be changed in yellow at 39 Celsius degrees in just the first 20 hours from preparation? Or this change is because of the stressed cells from the media or other unidentified factors ?

[@kosheeka]

Interesting observation about the media turning yellow. There are a couple reasons this might happen, especially at 39°C, which is a bit on the warm side for cell culture.
First, both L-15 and F-12 media contain components like sugars and amino acids that can degrade faster at higher temperatures. This breakdown can cause a yellowing effect.
Secondly, light exposure can also break down certain components in the media, leading to a color shift.
Now, it's less likely in the first 20 hours, but stressed or dying cells can also release compounds that turn the media yellow. However, the most concerning reason would be contamination by bacteria or fungi. This is especially important if sterile technique wasn't strictly followed during media prep.
To diagnose the cause, you could compare the yellowing rate of freshly prepared media stored at 39°C. If it yellows at a similar pace, then heat or light might be the culprit. You can also perform a sterility test to rule out contamination.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

[@funny11744]

@@kosheeka thank you