Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma Detection and Elimination Reagents

Detect it, identify the strain, clear it from your cells and keep it out of the lab.

  • Detects and identifies the strain
  • Treats contaminated live cells
  • Cleans hoods, incubators and gloves

Find it, clear it, keep it out

4 products

Four products that cover each step of dealing with mycoplasma, in the order you use them.

PurMa Mycoplasma PCR Detection Kit PCR Detection Kit
Step 1: Detect

PCR Detection Kit

Mycoplasma PCR Detection Kit
Tests your cultures for mycoplasma by PCR, from 1-2 µl of sample
From $359.99
PurMa Mycoplasma Growth Media (MycoGrowth and MycoAgar) Growth Media
Step 2: Identify

Growth Media

Mycoplasma Growth Media (MycoGrowth and MycoAgar)
Grows mycoplasma from a sample so the exact strain can be identified
From $81.69
PurMa Mycoplasma Treatment Kit (MTK) (100X) Treatment Kit
Step 3: Treat

Treatment Kit

Mycoplasma Treatment Kit (MTK) (100X)
Removes mycoplasma from live cells, with MTR‑I, MTR‑II and MTR‑III
From $277.59
PurMa Mycoplasma Removal Spray Mycospray
Step 4: Prevent

Mycospray

Mycoplasma Removal Spray
Kills mycoplasma on hoods, incubators, benches, pipettors and gloves
From $339.39

Why mycoplasma matters

Mycoplasma does not make culture media cloudy or change it in any obvious way, so it often goes unnoticed. Eight species cause more than 95% of all cell culture contamination.

What it does to your cells

  • Cell lines gradually deteriorate
  • Results become inconsistent, with much higher standard deviations
  • DNA, RNA and protein synthesis are altered
  • Amino acid and ATP levels drop
  • Chromosomes change and the host cell immune system is affected

How it gets in

  • Faulty equipment, such as a laminar flow hood that lets dust into the cabinet
  • Human breath, especially at the microscope
  • Cell lines received from other labs

How to keep it out

  • Wear a mask in the cell culture room
  • Wipe the hood, incubator, benches and pipettors with Mycospray at least three times a week
  • Test new cell lines with the PCR Detection Kit before they join your cultures
Already contaminated?

Treating a cell line is slow and costly, so discard it and start again when you can. Use the Treatment Kit for cell lines you cannot replace, such as hybridomas or stable cell lines. For more, read our guide to cell culture contamination.