Nate - 1-7-2018 at 23:38
Hello! I'll keep this short and sweat, I was just wondering what safety precautions should I take when working with Escherichia coli B? Is it safe and
general? And does it require any special media or temperature?
Metacelsus - 2-7-2018 at 04:11
Laboratory strains of E. coli are generally safe (Biosafety Level 1). You should still practice sterile technique to avoid contaminating your culture.
LB medium at 37 °C would probably be best to grow it. However, it will grow under a wide range of conditions.
Tsjerk - 2-7-2018 at 13:32
Escherichia coli B strains are probably on of the safer E. coli strains as they are optimized for protein expression, which usually goes hand in hand
with lowered pathogenicity. Usually the K12 derivatives of E. coli are considered a little bit more pathogenic.
The B strains are considered to be GRAS, generally regarded as safe.
If you want to get rid of a contamination in a culture of E. coli you can inoculate a medium with lactose with the contaminated strain and let it grow
in a air-tight container without an air-bubble. Only E. coli will grow in it.
[Edited on 2-7-2018 by Tsjerk]