Cologne (Germany) / Walkersville, MD (USA), 23 February 2016 – Lonza has announced that it will host a free 60-minute webinar on 8 March 2016 titled “Mycoplasma – Uncover the Hidden Enemy in Cell Culture.” Mycoplasma contamination poses a considerable threat to cells in culture – and to the researcher it brings the potential loss of valuable cell lines and experimental data. This webinar will be of interest to all researchers performing cell culture and will demonstrate how to uncover the potential sources and avoid the consequences of mycoplasma contamination.
Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that lacks a cell wall around the cell membrane and so is unaffected by many common antibiotics. It is one of the most common contaminants present in cell culture laboratories. A conservative estimate states that between 15-35% of all continuous cell cultures are contaminated with mycoplasma, with some estimates even higher. Unlike classical bacterial infections, mycoplasma infections are more difficult to discover and require specialized techniques in order to enable reliable detection.
Specialists from Lonza will address the following questions and topics during the webinar:
• A brief introduction to mycoplasma and common causes of culture contamination
• The potential impact of mycoplasma on cells and thus on scientific data
• How the problem can be avoided via the detection of mycoplasma using the MycoAlert™ Assay
The webinar will be hosted twice on the same day in order to effectively support users across the globe. Interested parties can register to attend the free webinar by selecting the link associated with their preferred time slot below:
Tuesday, 8 March 2016 – 10 AM CET (Berlin) / 9 AM GMT (London) / 6 PM JST (Tokyo)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7863708633054689025
Speaker: Nazim El-Andaloussi, Scientific Support Specialist, Lonza Cologne
Tuesday, 8 March 2016 – 2 PM EST (New York) / 11 AM PST (Los Angeles)
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7111474454375699202
Speaker: Joseph Camp, Scientific Support Specialist, Lonza Walkersville
Those unable to join the mycoplasma testing webinar are invited to visit the mycoplasma products page for further information. Alternatively, by registering interest in the webinar, researchers will receive a link once it is available to view “on demand” via the Lonza website.
To learn more about Lonza’s upcoming webinars, please go to: www.lonza.com/researchwebinars
About Lonza
Lonza is one of the world’s leading and most-trusted suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We harness science and technology to create products that support safer and healthier living and that enhance the overall quality of life.
Not only are we a custom manufacturer and developer, Lonza also offers services and products ranging from active pharmaceutical ingredients and stem-cell therapies to drinking water sanitizers, from the vitamin B compounds and organic personal care ingredients to agricultural products, and from industrial preservatives to microbial control solutions that combat dangerous viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.
Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today is a well-respected global company with more than 40 major manufacturing and R&D facilities and approximately 9,800 full-time employees worldwide. The company generated sales of CHF 3.8 billion in 2015 and is organized into two market-focused segments: Pharma&Biotech and Specialty Ingredients. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.
