Cell culture is a key part of many scientific projects. The success of this procedure is reliant on keeping the cells free of contamination from microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses by implementing aseptic technique.
Using a cell culture hood is the most popular way to implement aseptic technique, however, flasks, bottles and other items entering the hood must be autoclaved or cleaned to prevent contamination of precious cells, an issue that was being faced within several labs at Nottingham
Wash bottles are routinely used for cleaning and washing steps within the cell culture hood. Standard wash bottles are made from LDPE, a plastic polymer which cannot withstand the autoclave temperature of 121°C. This means that these wash bottles cannot be sterilised before transferring to the cell culture hood and can pose a contamination risk, especially to sensitive human and mouse embryonic stem cells routinely used within labs at Nottingham University.
To combat the issue, a switch was made to the Azlon® autoclavable wash bottle. Whilst standard wash bottles are composed of LDPE, the Azlon® autoclavable wash bottle features a polypropylene bottle, cap and inner tube. Polypropylene can safely withstand temperatures of 121°C making all the parts suitable for autoclaving.
The result? A clean, sterile wash bottle that be used in the cell culture hood whilst minimising the risk of contamination to precious cells.