Planning and design of a cell and tissue culture laboratory

A major feature that distinguishes tissue culture laboratories from most other types of laboratory is the requirement to maintain the replication of a biological culture under sterile conditions (monoseptic), particularly ensuring the absence of bacteria and fungi. The facilities therefore must reflect this unusual need in the nature of equipment and laboratory design. The ideal way to plan a tissue culture laboratory is to start from scratch with a blank piece of paper. Realistically, however, this is rarely possible as budgetary constraints usually impose the need to convert existing facilities rather than build from new. This does not necessarily mean that adapted facilities will be inferior, in operation and/or safety terms, to a purpose-designed laboratory, provided that certain guidelines are followed. With this concept in mind, this chapter will both outline the basic requirements for providing a safe and efficient working environment, and suggest principles for the design of a cell culture suite.