Thank you for the specifications (you really are working with tough stuff!). We also use sterile, disposable material. Even if bacteria would not grow in the sheath fluid medium, spores can be carried-over to culture medium, where they can grow readily. PBS with calcium and magnesium still is much more prone to contamination (and may induce aggregation of EDTA-detached cells), and one wouldn't really want to use it. Saverio Alberti Head, Lab. of Experimental Oncology Department of Cell Biology and Oncology Consorzio Mario Negri Sud 66030 Santa Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Italy Phone: (39) 872-570.293 FAX: (39) 872-570.412 E-mail: alberti@cmns.mnegri.it On Thu, 26 Aug 1999, Jonathan Porter wrote: > 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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