Mycoplasma Contamination Is Insidious

Mycoplasma is a critical threat to your research; these microscopic organisms can pass through filters used to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination. Additionally, these hard-to-detect bacteria can potentially spread to all the cultures in your laboratory. In the new year, make it a priority to implement a few best practices and regularly test your cells.

Why it’s important

Mycoplasma contamination of continuous cell cultures ranges from 15-35% and among primary cell cultures, it is a minimum 1% contamination rate. Mycoplasma can change many aspects of cell physiology, which can make your experiment with contaminated cells untrustworthy at best, and a waste of time and resources at worst.

What’s the solution?

Using proper aseptic techniques and practices such as wearing personal protective equipment and working in a certified vertical laminar flow hood will diminish the chances of mycoplasma contamination from the environment.

In addition, quarantining new cell lines of any origin reduces the risk of cross contamination. Employing standard antibiotics does not protect cell cultures against mycoplasma contamination because mycoplasmas are generally resistant to most antibiotic mixtures commonly used in cell culture.

While there is no chemical preventative, implementing good cell banking practices will allow you to quickly recover if your working cell stocks become contaminated. Confirming that the media, sera, and reagents you use in your experiments are obtained from mycoplasma-free sources will safeguard your cells from contamination by external sources.

How we can help

As you begin the new year, rely on ATCC for your mycoplasma testing needs. The best protection against mycoplasma contamination is to quickly identify contaminated cultures and reagents through routine testing. ATCC offers a PCR-based mycoplasma testing service that can quickly and reliably detect over 60 species of Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, Spiroplasma, and Ureaplasma, including the top 8 species most likely to affect cell cultures.

Did you know?

There are over 190 species of mycoplasma, but only 8 species account for 95% of all mycoplasma contamination in cell culture.

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Hai-y Le, MA

Digital Content Specialist

Hai-y is a Digital Content Specialist at ATCC who loves collaborating with her colleagues and communicating essential information to the public to galvanize better health and science outcomes. She previously worked at the Public Health Department of Santa Clara County, California, wrote for The San Francisco Chronicle, and coordinated editorial content at The Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, D.C. She has an MA in Communication and BA from Stanford University.

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Cell Line Authentication: Protect Your Research and Reputation

This webinar discusses measures you can take to help protect your research by using ATCC’s portfolio of authentication services and products, including human and mouse STR profiling, mycoplasma detection, and cytochrome 1 oxidase barcoding for species identification.

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Cell Authentication

ATCC offers scientists stand-alone and customized cell authentication services to confirm the identity and purity of their research cultures. Services include human and mouse cell STR profiling and sterility, CO1, and mycoplasma testing.

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Mycoplasma Testing

ATCC’s mycoplasma PCR-based testing service detects over 60 species of Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, Spiroplasma, and Ureaplasma, with results in 3-5 days. It uses Whatman™ FTA™ sample collection cards with ATCC's Universal Mycoplasma Detection Kit.

Mycoplasma Contamination Is a Critical Threat

Test your cells routinely in the new year