" Related slip agents such as erucamide and stearamide are endogenous molecules used routinely in plastic manufacturing (3), whereas quaternary ammonium compounds are included as biocides or antistatic agents. Many such biocides bind substantially to proteins and DNA and have recently been linked with fertility problems in mice (6). Our findings that processing agents leach from laboratory plasticware into biological media and solvents, particularly when liquids are stored in plastic vessels, identify a likely source of error in many assay systems."
Thursday, November 13, 2008
It's the plastic, stupid!
" Related slip agents such as erucamide and stearamide are endogenous molecules used routinely in plastic manufacturing (3), whereas quaternary ammonium compounds are included as biocides or antistatic agents. Many such biocides bind substantially to proteins and DNA and have recently been linked with fertility problems in mice (6). Our findings that processing agents leach from laboratory plasticware into biological media and solvents, particularly when liquids are stored in plastic vessels, identify a likely source of error in many assay systems."
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Sounds like an argument for changing plastics regularly. Otherwise you're creating a setup that promotes the discovery of equipment-specific phenomena...
When I spent my honours year in synthetic chemistry, we had to avoid plastic like the plague. It would leach plasticiser into solvents (water included) surprisingly quickly. I'm not shocked that some biological systems can pick it up as well.
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