{"data":[{"id":766,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[{"id":136,"collection":"Articles","feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"item":{"id":144,"status":"published","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:23:00.000Z","title":"How to Spot Contaminated Spores (Without Losing Your Lunch)","content_body":"

Think of contamination like that one kid who always ruins the group project. It’s messy, it’s gross, and it can totally wreck your science game. But don’t worry! By the end of this guide, you’ll be a contamination-spotting ninja. Let’s get to it!

4 Clues Your Spores are Throwing a Rotten Party

1. The Liquid Looks Like a Snow Globe Gone Wrong
A healthy spore syringe is like a clear mountain stream—sparkly and see-through. You might spot tiny black specks (the spores!) floating around, but that’s it. If your syringe looks cloudy, murky, or has weird colors (green? yellow? black?), that’s a red flag. It’s like someone dumped glitter glue or swamp water into your science project. Not cool.

2. It Smells Like Gym Socks from the Dark Dimension
Here’s a fun fact: Spore syringes shouldn’t smell like anything. Zip. Zero. Nada. If you unscrew the cap (carefully!) and get a whiff of something rotten, sour, or \"old basement,\" your spores are probably contaminated. Imagine your syringe is a milk carton—if it smells like it’s been in the sun for a week, toss it.

3. There’s Slimy Goo or Spider Webs Inside
Spores are supposed to float around like tiny astronauts in space. But if you see stringy clumps, slime trails, or something that looks like a cobweb took over your syringe, that’s bad news. Bacteria love making gooey messes, and mold loves knitting fuzzy sweaters. Either way, your spores are not having a good time.

4. Under the Microscope, It’s a Zombie Apocalypse
Pop your spores under a microscope, and you should see roundish, spore-y dots minding their own business. But if you spot fast-growing fuzzballs, wiggly worms (bacteria!), or anything that looks like it’s multiplying like gremlins, abort mission! Contamination loves a good microscope spotlight.

How to Keep Your Spores Safe (No Lab Coat Required)

Okay, so contamination is the ultimate party pooper. But you can outsmart it! Here’s how to be a contamination-fighting superhero:

1. Buy from the Spore Superheroes
Not all spore sellers are created equal. Some are like that sketchy hot dog stand at the fair—cheap, but risky. Always buy from trusted suppliers (like FruitySpores.com!) who test their syringes in labs. Think of it like choosing a lunch spot: Would you eat sushi from a gas station? Nope.

2. Treat Your Syringes Like Ice Cream
Spores love the cold! Store syringes in the fridge (1–7°C or 35–45°F) in a sealed container. This keeps them fresh and slows down any sneaky germs. Pro tip: Label them so your mom doesn’t mistake them for a flu shot.

3. Clean Your Workspace Like You’re Prepping for Surgery
You don’t need a fancy lab—just a clean desk! Wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl), wear gloves, and work near a flame (like a candle or alcohol burner) to zap airborne germs. Or build a \"still air box\" from a plastic tub—it’s like a mini fortress against contamination!

4. Never, Ever Reuse Needles (Seriously, Don’t)
Reusing a needle is like brushing your teeth with a used toothpick. Just don’t. Always use fresh, sterile needles. If you’re feeling extra science-y, flame the syringe tip with a lighter until it glows red. It’s like giving germs a fiery Viking funeral.

When in Doubt, Start Fresh

Even superheroes have bad days. If your spores look, smell, or act sus, toss ‘em. It’s better to restart than waste weeks on a doomed experiment.

","lead_image":"1d44d463-2ca0-4ce6-842e-541dbf902d71","slug":"how-to-spot-contaminated-spores","tags":null,"deck":"So, you’ve got your spore syringe, your microscope, and a big ol’ dream of studying fungi like a pro. But hold your horses—before you dive in, there’s a sneaky villain you need to watch out for: contamination.","promoted":false,"related_content":[],"article_tags":[482,483,484,485,486,487]}}],"feed_tag":[{"id":765,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"tags2_id":{"id":11,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Guide","tag2_slug":"guide"}},{"id":766,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"tags2_id":{"id":55,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Mushroom Care","tag2_slug":"mushroom-care"}},{"id":767,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"tags2_id":{"id":53,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Mushrooms","tag2_slug":"mushrooms"}},{"id":768,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"tags2_id":{"id":36,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Shrooms","tag2_slug":"shrooms"}},{"id":769,"feed_id":{"id":157,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-04-24T02:22:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-04-24T02:24:24.812Z","promoted":true,"feed_connect":[136],"feed_tag":[765,766,767,768,769]},"tags2_id":{"id":62,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Shroom Tips","tag2_slug":"shroom-tips"}}]},"tags2_id":{"id":55,"status":"published","tag2_title":"Mushroom Care","tag2_slug":"mushroom-care"}}]}