A laminar flow cabinet or tissue culture hood is a partially enclosed bench work surface designed to prevent contamination of biological samples, semiconductor wafer, or any particle-sensitive materials.

Air is drawn through a HEPA filter and blown in a very smooth laminar flow in a narrow vertical curtain, separating the interior of the cabinet from the environment around it.

A laminar flow cabinet blows unfiltered exhaust air towards the worker and is not safe for work with pathogenic agents,[2]: 13 [3] while a fume hood maintains negative pressure with constant exhaust to protect the user, but does not protect the work materials from contamination by the surrounding environment.

This is achieved by drawing surrounding air in and exhausting it through a HEPA filter to remove potentially hazardous microorganisms.

Cabinets may have a UV-C germicidal lamp to sterilize the interior and contents before use to prevent contamination of the experiment.