Antibiotics in Cell Culture: Friend or Foe?

Cell culture is a realm within itself. The medium in the culture dish includes nutrients that cells require to live and thrive. But, every once in a while, uninvited invaders breach the cultures, endangering the delicate stability of the system and tainting the scientific conclusions. Consequently, the cultures are futile and must be eradicated. But how can we put these intruders at bay? Many experts claim that employing antibiotics is one solution. These chemicals are the first line of defense against bacterial contamination.