Category: Cell Culture

The ability to reproduce the experimental results of others is a hallmark of science. It is part of the checks and balances process and is a surefire way to know one is on the right track when the results of a study can not only be replicated by the same team but also reproduced and… Continue reading The Reproducibility Crisis in Cell Culture

There is an underlying issue for cell cultures that goes beyond the lack of purification and proper isolation of particles assumed to be “virus” as well as the toxic nature of the chemicals used in “growing” them. This is in regards to the unnatural environments used to culture the cells in. What is most often… Continue reading 2D or not, 3D? That is the Question…

“In addition, passage in cell culture can result in artificial mutations in the sequences, which were not present in the original clinical sample. This can have major implications for subsequent analyses. Using cell culture solely for the purpose of amplifying virus genetic material for SARS-CoV-2 sequencing should therefore be avoided“ https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1326052/retrieve&ved=2ahUKEwi9i5ql-M7xAhUJnGoFHQvEBaIQFjADegQICBAC&usg=AOvVaw0gjHudaoThq3mU1JVxALpd The above statement comes… Continue reading Passage in Vero Cells: The Variant Game

“Evidence suggests that up to one-third of tumor cell lines being used in scientific research are affected by inter- or intraspecies cross-contamination or have been wrongly identified, thereby rendering many of the conclusions doubtful if not completely invalid.” — Lancet Oncology, vol. 2, July 2001, p. 393 Cell line misidentification is a huge problem in… Continue reading Cell Line Misidentification

Antibiotics such as Penicillin-streptomycin are commonly used in cell cultures in order to control bacterial contamination. However, it has become increasingly clear that they have various unwanted effects on the cells as well as any results obtained from the cell culture experiments. A few excerpts from a 2017 study shows us that little is known… Continue reading The Effects of Antibiotics on Cell Cultures

One of the most overlooked problems in regards to cell cultures and the reliability of the results obtained from them is the issue of misidentification resulting from contamination. It is a well-known issue and easily leads to false results built upon false results: Consequences of cell culture contamination “Contaminants can affect all cell characteristics (e.g.… Continue reading Cell Line Misidentification and Contamination

These are the guidelines for Viral Transport Media for “SARS-COV-2” put forth by the CDC. Note that this was put out there to provide a standard to follow as an alternative to commercially available products which means that the VTM is not standardized across all laboratories. They even allow alterations as long as it is… Continue reading “SARS-COV-2” VTM Guidelines

Viral Transport Media is used to “preserve” a “virus” after the sample has been taken from the sick person. It is intended to keep the “virus” in a stable condition while it is transported to laboratories in order to be tested, cultured, sequenced, etc. Looking at two of the original “SARS-COV-2” papers for what was… Continue reading Viral Transport Media

“Cell culture relies on the assumption that the behavior of cells in vitro is fundamentally similar to their behavior as part of a tissue within an organ of a multicellular organism.” Is it time to reinvent basic cell culture medium? (physiology.org) When virologists claim they have isolated a “virus,” they do not mean that they… Continue reading The Cell Cuture Problem