A mad looking scientist wearing a white lab coat, working in a sterile work bench in the cell culture lab in mysterious blue light.

Hardly any other lab is as shrouded in mystery as the cell culture lab. An “opinion” seasoned with a little “gut feeling” seems to be enough to legitimize questionable practices. 🥴

Here are some of the most common myths haunting cell culture labs around the world:

 

☝️ Cells are robust creatures. Inconsistent treatments and occasional mishaps will not throw them off track that easily.

➡️ No, cells are highly sensitive living units, any changes in their environment will affect their function, metabolism, phenotype or even morphology.

☝️ Harvesting cells at different confluency will not make a difference for the experiment.

➡️ No, only sticking to a consistent passaging routine will lead to consistent results with experiments.

☝️ A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved – a reagent shared is a joy doubled.

➡️ No, don’t share reagents, unless they are unopened or fresh aliquots (don’t take the remains back).

☝️ Lab coats are overrated.

➡️ No, they are not.

☝️ Lab shoes are overrated.

➡️ No, they are not.

☝️ Aerosols – what’s that?

➡️ No comment.

☝️ Antibiotics are good and will not affect the state of the cells.

➡️ We need to talk!

 

Any other diehard myths in the cell culture lab you came across that are toxic for a healthy and good cell culture working environment? 👀☝️

 

#GCCP #BestPractice #CellCulture #LifeScience

Author: asban