Dare to be bold

With a better than standard stem cell media

Test the limits of your research and pioneer your own breakthrough using a stem cell media you know you can trust. Supported by a proven track record of results.

Since the breakthrough of generating iPSCs in 2007, stem cell research has exploded!

Creating unrivalled possibilities in the understanding, treatment and potential cure of diseases once thought of as untreatable, research into the medical use of stem cells is revolutionary.

With our mission to make the world safer, cleaner and healthier we have always been at the forefront of harnessing these powerful innovations into a total system covering your stem cell research workflow.

For over a decade, Gibco™ have provided the key tools and resources you need to address challenges in your stem cell research. Our complete portfolio of products and services can support every step of your research and you can benefit from the continuity, efficiency, and precision that drive discovery.

See the links below for more information. Then connect with our expert sales team to see the results first hand.

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FAQs

Pluripotent stem cell (PSC) research requires careful attention to culture conditions. Gibco media and reagents have been at the forefront of pluripotent stem cell research for years. Gibco products deliver culture with confidence.

Find the right solution for your stem cell culture needs

ProductStemFlex MediumEssential 8 MediumEssential 8 Flex Medium
Ideal forRobust maintenance of PSC culture, difficult cell lines, and superior performance in single cell passaging and gene editingConsistent PSC culture and superior reprogrammingPSC culture with flexible feeding schedule
DefinedAnimal origin components (BSA)Xeno-free; no animal derived components, human derivedXeno-free; no animal-derived components; human derived
Recommended cell typesHuman PSCsHuman PSCsHuman PSCs
Weekend-free feeding scheduleYesNoYes
Genome editingBestFairFair
RobustnessBestFairGood
Recommended matrixGeltrex Matrix rhLaminin-521Vitronectin (VTN-N) Recombinant

Protein rhLaminin-521
Vitronectin
rhLaminin-521
Recommended level of dissociation and passaging reagentClumpVersene SolutionVersene SolutionVersene Solution
Small clusterStemPro Accutase Cell Dissociation Reagent, RevitaCell Supplement helpful but not requiredStemPro Accutase Cell Dissociation Reagent, optional

RevitaCell Supplement added to medium during first 18-24 hours post-passage for improved recovery
StemPro Accutase

RevitaCell Supplement
Single cellTrypLE Select or Tryple Express Enzyme, RevitaCell Supplement helpful but not required during recovery if using rhLaminin-521TrypLE Select or Tryple Express Enzyme with RevitaCell Supplement added to medium during first 18-24 hours post-passageTrypLE Select or Tryple Express Enzyme with RevitaCell Supplement

Essential 8—Routine PSC expansion and maintenance

Proven to maintain pluripotency in multiple iPSC lines, Essential 8 Medium has been used to scale up production of iPSCs—supporting iPSC growth for >50 passages with no signs of karyotypic abnormalities and maintaining the ability of iPSCs to differentiate into all three germ line lineages.

iPSC Morphology

iPSC Morphology—iPSCs cultured in Essential 8 medium on vitronectin at P4.

Staining

Staining—Tra-1-60 staining of iPSCs cultured in Essential 8 medium on vitronectin at P13.

iPSCs grown on Essential 8 Medium

Superior recovery during adaption

rhLaminin-521 has been proven to promote cellular survival under stressful conditions in the absence of small molecule inhibitors (Figure 1). In addition, rhLaminin-521 has been shown to support PSC growth for >20 passages without any signs of karyotypic abnormalities and to maintain the ability of PSCs to differentiate into all three germ line lineages (Figure 2). When used in conjunction with Essential 8 Medium, rhLaminin-521 enables a trouble-free transition from feeder-based media to a xeno-free, feeder-free media system.

Optimum recovery of PSCs during transition to Gibco Essential 8 Medium in the absence of small molecule inhibitors
Human ESCs maintain expression of self-renewal factors

Single-cell passaging with Essential 8

RevitaCell Supplement can be used for routine single-cell passaging of PSCs in Essential 8 Medium, providing efficient recovery of cells while retaining normal morphology, pluripotency, and karyotype. Furthermore, the prosurvival small molecule contained within this cocktail is shown to be a more selective ROCK inhibitor, minimizing the off-target pathways affected.

Line chart shows percent culture conflucency as a function of time for PSCS cultured in Essential 8 Medium with RevitaCell Supplement.
Six panel phase-contrast image series showing iPSC recovery from 0 hours to 114 hours following single cell passaging.

StemFlex

Superior clonal expansion following single-cell passaging

StemFlex medium, Essential 8 Flex medium, and mTeSR1 medium percentage of wells exhibiting clonal expansion shown in a bar graph when starting with 1 cell, 3 cells, or 5 cells.

Improved reprogramming workflow and robust colony formation

 StemFlex Medium provides an improved workflow and robust colony formation for easy clone selection following reprogramming of somatic cells

Robust support of PSC cultures during expansion and maintenance

Phase contrast image of compact PSC colonies with smooth and defined edges.
Karyotype shown as 22 pairs of somatic chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes stained by G-banding.

Essential 8 Flex

FGF2 activity over time in PSC culture medium
Long-term stability of cells cultured in Essential 8 Flex medium.

Robust pluripotent stem cell cultures

FGF2 levels widely fluctuate in standard PSC culture medium, even with daily feeding (Figure 3). The use of Essential 8 Flex medium significantly limits these fluctuations, producing more robust, stable culture conditions with the added value of a flexible feeding schedule.

Essential 8 Flex medium limits fluctuations in levels of active FGF2