Re: Sheath fluid

From: Jonathan Porter (J.D.Porter@exeter.ac.uk)
Date: Thu Aug 26 1999 - 04:41:36 EST


On Wed, 25 Aug 1999 11:54:37 +0200 (MET DST) Saverio Alberti 
<alberti@cmns.mnegri.it> wrote:
 
> PBS without calcium and magnesium cannot support the growth of
> microorganisms and does not need supplementation with antibiotics. If
> unopened, to avoid spore contamination, it can be stored indefinitely at
> room temp. 

Hi, Saverio,

Sorry, but I can't let that pass without comment. As an environmental 
microbiologist, who uses flow to sort out individual bacteria with 
the sole aim of growing them, there are many bacteria and some fungi 
that will grow in PBS or Dulbecco PBS, or even deionised and 
x1 distilled water. They grow to very low densities, and the 
solutions remain clear to the eye, but I filter my sheath fluid 
through a 0.1 um filter, aliquot it, autoclave it and would never 
return to an opened flask. 

Of course, these cells do not normally affect the work of most of the 
people who subscribe to the list as a) they are unlikely to grow in 
the incubation conditions you use and b) you all work with golf balls 
and footballs and rarely take your instruments into the bit you call 
noise. 

I also do other odd things, but haven't (yet) been arrested for 
them...

Jonathan



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