Prevent culture contamination and promote the safety of
laboratory personnel with these tips. Cara Wilder, Ph.D.
Regardless of the assigned biosafety level, caution should be
used when working with any microbial culture. Below we describe
eight expert tips on how to handle microbial strains to prevent
culture contamination and promote the safety of laboratory
personnel. Obtain microbial strains from an authenticated,
trusted source. Research laboratories run the risk of
misidentified or contaminated strains when using microbial
cultures obtained from colleagues. Before working with media and
microbial cultures, sanitize your hands and work area with an
appropriate disinfectant. Disinfectants are commonly applied to
laboratory surfaces to destroy any present microorganism by
denaturing proteins or disrupting the cell membrane. Ethanol, a
frequently used laboratory sanitizing agent, is commonly
prepared at a 70% concentration in sterile water to facilitate
diffusion through the cell membrane. Ethanol functions