From Primary Cell to Organoid: the proliferative fate international conference and workshop

Cell culture is an essential tool for basic, biomedical and translational research. This can be as routine as growing cell lines for toxicity assays, as specific and personalised as patient-derived cell culture, or it can mimic physiological conditions such as organoid culture. In order to train and promote collaborative research among North African researchers in the field of cell culture, a consortium formed by the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia, the Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Cellular Physiopathology and Valorisation of Biomolecules, the Merck Group and Learn and Win decided to organise a North African conference and workshop on complex cell culture, from primary cells to organoids. For 1 week, from 18 to 23 November 2024, more than 500 young researchers and students in the life sciences and more than 30 international speakers and trainers met at the Faculty of Sciences in Tunis, Tunisia, to discuss cell culture technology and protocols, from primary cell culture to organoids, with a strong focus on technologies and discoveries. This meeting review describes the scientific event and highlights the main results of both the conferences and the practical sessions.