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mycot
Crazy as fuck


Registered: 05/31/06
Posts: 1,112
Loc: Australia
Last seen: 1 month, 7 days
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Alternatives to flaming?
#14544368 - 06/01/11 04:59 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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I often use alchohol as a convenient means to sterilize the inside of the glovebox as one of its advantages is that it leaves no residue. In such an environment one does want to use any open flames and waiting heaps isn't practically convenient and I would still feel unsafe. In addition flames inside a glovebox would reduce the amount of oxygen possibly to an extent detrimental to mycelial growth. So are there good alternatives to flaming in the sterilization of instruments such as forcepts and inoculating loops that come close to flaming in terms of effectiveness and speed. I've considered using alchohol, bleach, H2O2 and colloidal silver but am unable to find how long they take to achieve the same degree of sterilization available by flaming. So my question really is, are there good alternatives to flaming for the quick sterilization of instruments inside the glovebox.
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lucas_southoz
Adelaidian



Registered: 06/09/10
Posts: 1,196
Loc:
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? [Re: mycot]
#14544384 - 06/01/11 05:14 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Flame sterilising is the best way to sterilise needles/scalpels, I don't think there are any alternatives.
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Doc_T
Random Dude




Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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I do it the other way around- I have a handful of scalpels, and I'll sterilize a bunch before I get started. Then I use one until I I would otherwise flame, and switch to a fresh one.
It's not suitable for high volume work, but how many jars are in a glovebox, right?
-------------------- You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure


Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 11 months, 4 days
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: mycot]
#14544545 - 06/01/11 06:34 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Advanced Mycology.
Reason: Off topic in advanced mycology.
It's been known for years and years that washing a glovebox with alcohol is danger as well as a waste of product. Clean a glovebox with soap and water, and there's no substitute for flaming anything that touches sterile media. RR
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piracetam
bioanalytical chemist


Registered: 05/03/08
Posts: 4,321
Loc: TX
Last seen: 1 year, 1 day
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: RogerRabbit]
#14545183 - 06/01/11 10:53 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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true, there's no substitute for flaming, primarily because of endospores (tough bastards). the other way to tackle them is ethylene oxide, not very safe or practical in a makeshift glovebox. for all practical purposes, a UV-C lamp in a glovebox is handy for surface sterilization; just don't leave it on. it degrades plastic and rubber.
-------------------- "Experiments are the only means of attaining knowledge at our disposal. The rest is just poetry, imagination." ~Max Planck
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Doc_T
Random Dude




Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: piracetam]
#14545188 - 06/01/11 10:54 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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And your DNA!!
UV is bad, mmmkay?
-------------------- You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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piracetam
bioanalytical chemist


Registered: 05/03/08
Posts: 4,321
Loc: TX
Last seen: 1 year, 1 day
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: Doc_T]
#14545200 - 06/01/11 10:57 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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UV isn't particularly hazardous if you wear protective eyewear and don't leave skin exposed. it doesn't penetrate very well, which is why it's mostly used to sterilize surfaces.
of course, sterilizing media is a job for the autoclave
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SKrink
KING MOB


Registered: 01/29/11
Posts: 1,042
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: piracetam]
#14545527 - 06/01/11 12:29 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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How about flaming just outside the glovebox?
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SWEET POTATO HOME FRIES
HOW TO USE A PENIS ENVY SPORE SWAB
... Oh mighty masticator, salivator, vocalizer, swallower, licker biter sucker brow-knitter looker blinker rubbernecker thumber prodder up-yours fingerer ringwearer nosepicker waver drinker armlifter bodybender hipswiveler kneer springer runner ZERO::::::::OOOOOOOOO:::::::: RUN!!!
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toxinn
Stranger (than what?)




Registered: 08/01/10
Posts: 83
Loc:
Last seen: 8 years, 6 days
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: SKrink]
#14545816 - 06/01/11 01:44 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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That's what I do
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occollegeboi
MushroomSpaceGod



Registered: 04/10/11
Posts: 2,857
Last seen: 5 years, 4 months
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Re: Alternatives to flaming? (moved) [Re: toxinn]
#14572731 - 06/07/11 02:52 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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I flamed outside the glove box and only 1 out of 10 of my jars got contamination. You're being paranoid. Everything needs to be sterile but not as much as YOU think.
Wear a face mask too so your breath doesn't cause a draft on the needle between flaming the needle and putting it in the glove box.
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