• Question: If you're growing a cell, is it possible for it to mutate and grow mould, and if so, how do you prevent this?

    Asked by moonshoespotter to Matt on 13 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Matthew Tomlinson

      Matthew Tomlinson answered on 13 Nov 2013:

      Hi moonshoespotter

      Thanks for the question. When we grow cells we keep them in a special liquid that contains all the things they need to grow, these also happen to be the same things that bacteria and fungi, like moulds, need to grow. For this reason we work in special cabinets called cell culture hoods (there’s a picture of one on my profile) which are sterile and do not let bugs from the air in, this way we can keep our working area as free of bacteria and fungi as possible. As a second line of defence we also (but not always) grow our cells with chemicals called antibiotics to kill bacteria and antimycotics to kill fungi. This doesn’t always work and sometimes our cultures do get infected, but most of the time they do the job.

      I hope that answers your question!

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