The Battle Against Cell Culture Contaminants: Kicking Out Mycoplasma

You might be familiar with the tiny, tricky organisms called mycoplasmas. These guys can sneak into cell cultures and cause big problems. Researchers often face up to 35% contamination in their cell lines. Cleaning up these cultures with antibiotics is usually a breeze, except when it comes to bacteria like Rickettsia and Ehrlichia. These guys live inside cells, making it tough to get rid of mycoplasma contaminants. Scientists have tried different ways to clear out mycoplasmas, like using antibiotics or even infecting mice. But these methods aren't always effective. Plus, using mice can be cruel and isn't always reliable. That's why a new study focused on two common mycoplasma species: Mycoplasma arginini and Mycoplasma orale. These guys are frequent visitors in cell cultures infected with Rickettsia or Ehrlichia. The study developed a special test to spot these sneaky mycoplasmas. Then, they tried out two antibiotics, daptomycin and clindamycin, to clean up the cultures. Guess what? It worked! They got rid of M. arginini, M. orale, and even both together from several Rickettsia and Ehrlichia cultures. Mycoplasmas can stick around in cell lines forever if not treated. So, finding a reliable way to clear them out is a big deal for scientists. This new method could make lab work easier and more efficient. It's a step forward in the never-ending battle against cell culture contaminants.