tuberculosis culture, a microbiology culture to diagnose tuberculosis. The spread of disease is a possible result of conventional culture techniques, which take 4 to 6 weeks. Newer, more rapid techniques include the BACTEC method, which uses a substrate labeled with radioactive carbon; polymerase chain reaction culture methods, which use genetic DNA probes to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis; and a sputum smear for acid-fast bacillus.
