From owner-drosophila@net.bio.net Wed Oct 26 22:00:00 1994
Path: biosci!COMP.UARK.EDU!wetges
From: wetges@COMP.UARK.EDU (William J. Etges)
Newsgroups: bionet.drosophila
Subject: Re: infection in medium
Date: 27 Oct 1994 07:09:40 -0700
Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology
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Message-ID: <199410271409.JAA01703@comp.uark.edu>
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At 12:08 AM 10/27/94 -0700, gendjc@luxor.latrobe.edu.au wrote:
>Can anyone help? We've been getting more and more infections of our
>fly medium. I don't know if they're two different types or not. One sees
>the medium turn yellower-pale orange with a mucoid surface that flies
>get stuck in. Another type seems to be where the medium gradually
>turns from yellow-orange-amber-deep orangy brown. Tis is not associated
>with the slimeys in fact the medium seems to dry out a bit. Anyway, it's
>giving us hell and I think incidence is increasing. Our medium uses
>agar, raw sugar, and yeast. In addition, one of us studies an infection in
>thflies which is killed by tetracycline so he must avoid using that in
>the medium.
>Any ideas?
>david clancy, carla sgro.
>La Trobe Uni. Melbourne Australia

David,
                The change in color you describe is something I have
noticed since moving to Arkansas where the building humidity and fungus
levels are annoyingly high. We have a continuing problem with the "red
death" that seems to be a bacterial infection that recurs in the
summertime. The only way to get rid of it is transfer the flies more often
and throw out any contaminated cultures. General advice for unacceptable
growth of muck on your fly food: autoclave everything, including the food
if you have to! Maintain sterile technique if possible.

Bill

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William J. Etges                           "When scientists are
Department of Biol. Sciences    under attack, they circle
University of Arkansas                'round, wagon train
Fayetteville, AR 72701  USA     style. The physicists
wetges@comp.uark.edu             aim outward at their
 voice: (501) 575-6358                opponents. Biologists
FAX   (501) 575-4010                  on the other hand,
                                                         aim inward, at each
                                                         other."
                                                         Dr. Janet V. Dorigan
                                                         Dept. of Energy
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