An 3D illustration of orange round and rod mycoplasma bacterial cells

Credit: iStock/ Dr_Microbe

Eliminating an Invisible Threat

Bacterial contaminants in cell cultures pose a significant threat to the biopharmaceutical safety. How do scientists detect these hard-to-spot pests?

Lurking among cell culture facilities across academia and the biopharmaceutical industry is an invisible threat. Microscopic organisms, no more than 2-3 micrometers in length and approximately 25 times smaller than a spec of dust floating in the air or hiding behind your couch, may creep into cell culture dishes, infiltrate cells, and propagate, causing lasting cellular effects and dangerous consequences for biopharmaceuticals. In this episode, we discuss how to detect and measure mycoplasma, a bacterial pestilence that experts estimate infects approximately 30% of cell lines across the globe.

Speaker

Tuomas Nikula, PhD

Tuomas Nikula, PhD

Project Manager
Biovian

More on this podcast

Drug Discovery News Talks Science is a podcast where we discuss the latest news in preclinical and translational research. Behind every medical and scientific advancement lies a harrowing story of mystery and discovery. Come with us as we share these stories and connect you to the scientific minds behind them.

Sponsor

This podcast episode is sponsored by Bio-Rad. Bio-Rad is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of innovative products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. With a focus on quality and customer service for over 65 years, Bio-Rad products advance the discovery process and improve healthcare.

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