coculture

noun

co·​cul·​ture ˌkō-ˈkəl-chər 

variants or co-culture

plural cocultures or co-cultures

: the act or process of culturing two types of cells or tissue in the same medium

a coculture of pancreatic tumor cells and fibroblasts

co-culture conditions/studies

coculture transitive verb

or co-culture

cocultured or co-cultured; coculturing or co-culturing

They encouraged the fusion of fibroblasts and embryonic stem cells by coculturing cells of both types in an agent that facilitates membrane fusion …

—Elizabeth G. Phimister

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

coculture

noun

co·​cul·​ture ˌkō-ˈkəl-chər 

variants or co-culture

: the act or process of growing two types of living material (such as cells) in prepared nutrient media

Although monotypic cell cultures are valuable in characterizing cell-specific responses to unconjugated bilirubin, they are less informative than coculture studies, which allow exploration of cell-cell interactions that are probably critical for tissue homeostasis and overall CNS function.

—Jon F. Watchko et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

coculture transitive verb

or co-culture

They encouraged the fusion of fibroblasts and embryonic stem cells by coculturing cells of both types in an agent that facilitates membrane fusion …

—Elizabeth G. Phimister, The New England Journal of Medicine