Ask AI: How filtration is used to control microorganisms in plant culture and tissue culture facility

Filtration is a critical process used in plant culture and tissue culture facilities to control microorganisms and maintain sterile conditions for the plants' optimal growth and development. Here are several ways how it is used: 1. Air Filtration: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are often used in culture growth rooms and laminar flow cabinets to filter out microorganisms and prevent airborne contamination. 2. Water Filtration: Water used in the preparation of culture media is sterilized and filtered to remove potentially harmful microorganisms. 3. Media Sterilization: The growth media, containing essential nutrients for plant growth, often go through a filtration process to remove any contaminating bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Disposable sterile filter units that have a filter membrane with a specific pore size (commonly 0.22 or 0.45µm) are often used for this purpose. 4. Equipment Sterilization: Filtration can also be used to sterilize tools and equipment used in tissue culture, filtering out microbes that could contaminate the culture. 5. Filtration of Raw Materials: Raw materials, like hormones, vitamins or growth regulators, used in preparing the culture media might need to be filtered to ensure no contamination is introduced into the culture. 6. Filtration of Waste: Before disposing of or treating waste from a tissue culture lab, it may need to be filtered to remove any potentially infectious material. Through these methods, filtration serves to limit and control the presence of microorganisms, helping to maintain the sterile conditions necessary for successful plant tissue culture.