Mycoplasma Contamination

Mycoplasma contamination is a type of biological contamination; however, it differs from regular bacterial, viral, or fungal contamination because mycoplasma is extremely difficult to detect. Mycoplasma are simple bacteria that lack a cell wall, and they are considered the smallest self-replicating organism. It is because of their extremely small size (typically less than 1 µm), that mycoplasma contamination is difficult to detect until they achieve extremely high densities and cause the cell culture to deteriorate; until then, there are often no visible signs of infection. 

Like other forms of biological contamination, mycoplasma is spread through various channels, usually arising from contaminants already present in your laboratory or working area. Through improper handling or a lack of adherence to aseptic techniques, mycoplasma contamination can be difficult to detect while becoming increasingly pervasive.

Learn more about how to prevent mycoplasma contamination with aseptic techniques 

If you detect mycoplasma contamination in a cell culture before it causes cellular deterioration, it can be treated with antibiotics. However, because of their lack of a cell wall, mycoplasma are resistant to common antibiotics that target the area, such as penicillin.

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers several antibiotics suitable for removing mycoplasma from cell cultures. Always use caution when deciding when to use an antibiotic for your cultures as persistent use can result in antibiotic resistant strains.

There are many efforts one can take to minimize and prevent mycoplasma contamination within a cell culture lab. Mycoplasma contamination is best prevented by following proper aseptic techniques in the cell culture lab. Through proper sterilization procedures and handling, donning of PPE, and diligent aseptic technique, mycoplasma contamination can be severely limited. Though as a last line of defense, when handling culture media, serum, additives, and buffers, you can also opt for a sterilization filter that has a pore size of 0.1 μm to enable maximum protection.