What a [cell culture] waste!
Every few weeks the flask that we use for cell culture waste fills to the top. Inevitably, someone must empty it. Usually, this becomes my task. For those of you who might not know what is in a cell culture waste container, or those who aren't familiar with the lab work that I do, this container is where every bit of cell debris, dead or alive, goes after it has been used. Not only that, but it is also were cell culture media, which may or may not have touched cells, goes after it has been used. It is also a recepticle for miscelaneous enzymes, chemicals, and bacteria that may have (purposefully or not) gotten into a cell culture experiment. This includes a great deal of organic compounds, a lot of which are susceptible to degredation by light or heat, as well as the growth of other organisms (like mold or the aforementioned bacteria) producing nasty byproducts.
In short, there's a lot of crap in there. And it stinks.
This week, as I was opening the flask and carrying it over to the sink to dump it down the drain, I paused for a moment to mistakenly take a breath. The smell hit my nose and I quickly decided not to breathe any further, even before I had a chance to register what smell I was smelling. Quickly the liquid (and other material) went into the sink and I picked up the bleach container to wash the rancid filth down.
However, that's the point I realized that I smelled something vaguely familiar coming from the vicinity of this cell culture mess. Daring to open my nostrils one more time, I wafted the vapors up to my nose again (as chemists are want to do around really potentially nasty smelly things) but did not smell much as the chemicals were already flowing down the drain. Turning on the faucet, I started to spray down the flask and the sink, and found that familiar odor was rising up to my nose on its own volition. It took my a moment, but I knew that this smell reminded me of something from my childhood. Something I did not find offensive - heck, I think I even enjoyed that smell!
While I was perplexed as to the source - liver cells combined with simple carbohydrates, minerals, fetal bovine serum and bacteria don't sound very appetizing - I washed it down with some bleach and contemplated this very question:
Why does cell culture waste smell like Spaghetti-O's?
(And what is Franco American putting in their pasta?!?!?)
In short, there's a lot of crap in there. And it stinks.
This week, as I was opening the flask and carrying it over to the sink to dump it down the drain, I paused for a moment to mistakenly take a breath. The smell hit my nose and I quickly decided not to breathe any further, even before I had a chance to register what smell I was smelling. Quickly the liquid (and other material) went into the sink and I picked up the bleach container to wash the rancid filth down.
However, that's the point I realized that I smelled something vaguely familiar coming from the vicinity of this cell culture mess. Daring to open my nostrils one more time, I wafted the vapors up to my nose again (as chemists are want to do around really potentially nasty smelly things) but did not smell much as the chemicals were already flowing down the drain. Turning on the faucet, I started to spray down the flask and the sink, and found that familiar odor was rising up to my nose on its own volition. It took my a moment, but I knew that this smell reminded me of something from my childhood. Something I did not find offensive - heck, I think I even enjoyed that smell!
While I was perplexed as to the source - liver cells combined with simple carbohydrates, minerals, fetal bovine serum and bacteria don't sound very appetizing - I washed it down with some bleach and contemplated this very question:
Why does cell culture waste smell like Spaghetti-O's?
(And what is Franco American putting in their pasta?!?!?)