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Bovine serum is categorized based on the age of the animal from which it is collected. The animal’s age can impact the composition of the serum, making age an important consideration when selecting serum for your cell culture experiments.
Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a range of bovine sera products, including newborn calf, bovine calf, and adult serum, most of which are processed and manufactured in New Zealand. Bovine serum is also available in heat-inactivated and non-heat inactivated formats.
Newborn calf serum is generally collected from bovine calves that are 20 days or less in age.
Bovine calf serum is generally collected from bovine calves that are 6 months or less in age.
Adult and donor bovine serum is generally collected from cows that are 12 months or more in age. For donor bovine sera, cattle are raised in a controlled herd specifically for blood donation.
Compared to bovine calf serum and newborn calf serum, fetal bovine serum (FBS) tends to be lower in antibodies and richer in growth factors, making FBS the most common choice for cell culture by scientists worldwide [1]. Differences in composition between FBS and calf sera should be carefully considered when determining what is best for your cell culture.
Despite their differences from FBS, other forms of bovine sera can serve as viable alternatives for cell culture, providing the appropriate factors for cell growth and viability. If considering changing the serum in your cell culture medium, always test your cell line for compatibility [1].
Comparisons of cell line growth, viability, and behavior using FBS, donor bovine serum (DBS), and newborn bovine calf serum (NBCS) indicate that, in some cell lines, DBS and NBCS are comparable to FBS in performance. However, in other instances, FBS may be the better choice.
Cell growth and viability | Cell behavior in downstream assay | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cell line | FBS | DBS | NBCS | FBS | DBS | NBCS |
HeLa | **** | **** | *** | **** | **** | **** |
CHO-K1 | **** | **** | *** | **** | ** | ** |
HepG2 | **** | ** | **** | **** | NA | |
HL-60 | **** | ** | * | **** | NA | NA |
Performance of FBS was considered the highest (denoted by ****). Performance of all other sera as compared to FBS was denoted accordingly. NA indicates that the assay was not performed.
In certain applications, newborn calf serum or adult bovine serum can be supplemented into cell culture media in lieu of FBS. Several studies have utilized other types of bovine sera in their experiments.
Applied uses of newborn calf serum include:
Bovine calf serum has been used as:
Cited uses of adult bovine serum include:
To help ensure quality, each lot of Gibco sera undergoes testing for its ability to support the growth of VERO cells over three subcultures. At each passage, the cells are subcultured to the original cell-inoculation density. Results are compared to those obtained using control growth medium with a previously characterized reference serum.
Fetal Bovine Serum Basics
Learn the basics of FBS for cell culture, including information on the FBS uses, components, and the market dynamics driving this industry.
Cell Culture Basics
Learn the fundamentals of cell culture for achieving consistent results, including laboratory setup, safety, and aseptic techniques.
Gibco iMatch Sera Lot Matching Tool
Provide your previous Gibco FBS lot number or answer a few questions to find your ideal serum match.
Find your regional sales representative
Connect with a regional FBS sales representative.
Cell Culture & Transfection Support Center
Find technical support recommendations for your cell culture and transfection workflows, including tips for experimental setup and in-depth troubleshooting help.
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For Research Use or Further Manufacturing Use only. Serum and blood proteins are not for direct administration into humans or animals.