Why must tissue cultures be kept sterile?

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tissue culture Tissue culture often requires sterile working conditions and thus is typically performed in a laminar flow cabinet (or tissue culture hood), which circulates filtered air to reduce the risk of culture contamination.

In the context of tissue culture, sterile conditions are strictly maintained to prevent contamination with microorganisms.1

Because the culture medium provides an artificial environment designed to support the survival and function of cells, it can also inadvertently support the growth of unwanted bacteria, fungi, or other microbes. Preventing such contamination is essential to ensure the integrity of the biological research and the validity of the experimental results.1