Cell culture

[Robert Hartley]

In article <3A640393.8B8B6B42 at unav.es>, joses at meseta.unav.es (Juan
=?iso-8859-1?Q?Os=E9s?=) wrote:

> Hi !
> I would like to know why you have to add 5% of CO2 in cell cultures. It
> is used in all protocols I have read.

It keeps the pH correct in Eagles Bicarbonate buffered systems for eg. 

For a look at different culture media constituents get a copy of the Life
technologies cell culture catalogue.

HOWEVER.
You don't always have to use CO2, EG endothelial cultures that I grow in
HEPES buffered media.

As a wee funny one:- something happened on Sun/Mon to me.

I normally grow my stock Macrophage in RPMI HEPES buffeed with no C02. I
GOT SOME NEW ONES IN FROM A COLLEAGUE SINCE HE TOOK ALL MINE. :-)   ahh
caps lock.

I asked him if he gassed them with CO2 and he said "no" ( he uses a
different media). So I subbed as normal while commenting to my girlfriend
(a physisist), that, in general RED coloured media (phenol red indicator)
are CO2/Bicarb buffered. When I came in on monday and found that half of
them had detached, I asked my colleague about the CO2. 

He said " I don't gas them personally I have a CO2 incubator".

ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

And the moral is "it stops your cells from dying" :-)))))))

Cheers
Bob; Chilly Scotland
-- 
Robert Hartley, Centre for Cell Engineering,University of Glasgow,
Glasgow G12 8QQ Tel:++44(0)141 330 4756
Fax:++44 (0)141 330 3730 mailto:rh at mblab.gla.ac.uk
Web : http://www.gla.ac.uk/Inter/CellEngineering