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Protect your cells with Gibco cell culture antibiotics

Antibiotics are secondary metabolites that inhibit the growth of, or actively kill, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In cell culture, there are two main concerns regarding contamination: the contamination of cell cultures with microbiological organisms and the contamination of one cell line with another. Both types of contamination are extremely prevalent, and the possibility of contamination—and the impact on results—cannot be underestimated.

Therefore, antibiotics and antimycotics are often added to cell culture media to help prevent the growth of contaminating bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma. In addition, certain selection antibiotics are used to select and establish eukaryotic cells modified by genetic engineering.

Shop all antibiotics View contamination selection guide View transfection selection guide

Penicillin-Streptomycin-GlutaMAX Supplement product photo

NEW Gibco Penicillin-Streptomycin-GlutaMAX Supplement

Protect your cell cultures with this new penicillin-streptomycin antibiotic containing GlutaMAX Supplement, a stable form of L-glutamine, the dipeptide L-alanyl-L-glutamine. Gibco GlutaMAX supplement is a direct substitute for L-glutamine resulting in efficient energy metabolism and high-growth yield, without the detrimental effects of excess ammonia on your cells.

View Penicillin-Streptomycin-GlutaMAX Supplement

Antibiotics in cell culture should be used at optimal concentrations, but should not be used as a replacement of sterile practice.

NOTE: Antibiotics and antimycotics can be toxic to certain cell lines. Therefore, it is essential to first perform a dose-response test to determine the level at which toxicity begins.

To learn more, please visit our protocols page on the use of antibiotics for cell culture contamination.


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Cell culture antibiotics for contamination

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a variety of antibiotics for cell culture, including those for control of biological contamination arising from bacteria, yeast, fungi, and mycoplasma.

NameEffective againstFormCat. No.
Gram-positive bacteriaGram-negative bacteriaYeastsMoldsMycoplasma
Antibiotic-antimycotic
See detailsSolution containing the antibiotics penicillin (inhibitor of bacterial cell wall synthesis) and streptomycin (inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis) as well as the antimycotic Amphotericin B (acts on fungal cell membrane)
 Liquid15240096
Ampicillin
See detailsBroad-spectrum antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis
   Powder11593027
Amphotericin B
See detailsAntifungal drug that prevents growth of fungi by causing increased fungal plasma membrane permeability
   Liquid15290018
Carbenicillin disodium salt
See detailsSemi-synthetic penicillin antibiotic that uses the same mechanism of action as ampicillin (i.e., interference of cell wall synthesis), but is more stable in cell culture
   Powder10177012
Gentamicin
See detailsBroad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic that inhibits bacterial protein synthesis
  Liquid15710064 (10 mg/mL)
15750060 (50 mg/mL)
Gentamicin/Amphotericin solution
See detailsSolution containing the broad-spectrum antibiotic gentamicin (inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis) and the antimycotic Amphotericin B (acts on fungal cell membrane)
LiquidR01510
Kanamycin sulfate
See detailsBroad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic that inhibits bacterial protein synthesis
  Powder11815024
Liquid15160054
Neomycin sulfate
See detailsBroad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic that inhibits bacterial protein synthesis
   Powder21810031
Penicillin streptomycin
See detailsSolution containing the antibiotics penicillin (inhibitor of cell wall synthesis) and streptomycin (inhibitor of protein synthesis)
   Liquid15070063 (5,000 U/mL)
15140122 (10,000 U/mL)
Penicillin-streptomycin GlutaMAX supplement
See detailsSolution containing the antibiotic penicillin (inhibitor of cell wall synthesis), streptomycin (inhibitor of protein synthesis) as well as GlutaMAX supplement, a stabilized form of L-glutamine, the dipeptide L-alanyl-L-glutamine, that prevents degradation and buildup of ammonia.
   LiquidA5873601
Penicillin-streptomycin-glutamine
See detailsSolution containing the antibiotic penicillin (inhibitor of cell wall synthesis), streptomycin (inhibitor of protein synthesis) as well as the essential nutrient L-glutamine
   Liquid10378016
Penicillin-streptomycin-neomycin
See detailsSolution containing the antibiotics penicillin (inhibitor of cell wall synthesis), as well as streptomycin and neomycin (inhibitors of protein synthesis)
   Liquid15640055
Polymyxin B sulfate
See detailsPolypeptide antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell membrane permeability
    Powder21850029
Streptomycin sulfate
See detailsBroad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic that inhibits bacterial protein synthesis
   Powder11860038
Fosmidomycin
See detailsPhosphonate antibiotic that inhibits isoprene synthesis
    PowderF23103

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Cell culture antibiotics for selection and cell line development

In addition to antibiotics used in media for contamination prevention, Thermo Fisher Scientific also offers a variety of antibiotics used for selection in transfection and cell line development.

NameCommon selection usageFormCat. No.
ProkaryoticEukaryotic mammalianEukaryotic plantEukaryotic yeast
Mycophenolic acid
See details Acts as an inhibitor of the guanosine monophosphate pathway and is used to select transfected animal cells expressing the E. coli gene for xanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase
  Powder11814019
Blasticidin S HCl
See detailsInhibits protein synthesis and is used to select cells expressing the resistance genes BSR or BSD
Note: this antibiotic is most commonly used for selection in mammalian cells
LiquidA1113902
PowderR21001
Geneticin (G418 Sulfate)
See detailsBlocks prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis and is used to select for cells expressing the neomycin resistance gene
Liquid10131035
Powder11811023
Hygromycin B
See detailsInhibits prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis and is used to select for cells transformed with the resistance gene hph
Note: Hygromycin B uses a mode of action that is distinct from that of geneticin, Blasticidin S, or zeocin, making it ideal for dual-selection experiments involving another selection reagent
Liquid10687010
Puromycin
See detailsInhibits prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis and is used to select for resistant cells expressing the puromycin N-acetyltransferase gene (pac)
  LiquidA1113802
Zeocin
See detailsDestroys DNA molecules and is used to select for cells expressing the resistance gene Sh ble
Note: Because zeocin is active in both bacterial and mammalian cells, vectors can be designed that carry only one drug resistance marker, reducing overall vector size
LiquidR25005
Actinomycin D
See detailsActs as a selection agent by inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis in nonresistant cells
   Powder11805017
Ampicillin
See detailsInterferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis and can be used to select for cells expressing the bla gene, which produces beta-lactamase, a protein that inactivates ampicillin’s beta-lactam ring
Note: Sometimes beta-lactamase produced by the bacteria is secreted into the medium, inactivating ampicillin in the medium and allowing the growth of satellite colonies
   Powder11593027
Carbenicillin disodium salt
See detailsUses the same mechanism of action as ampicillin and is used to select for resistant Agrobacterium and E. coli expressing the beta-lactamase (bla) gene
Note: Carbenicillin is broken down more slowly by beta-lactamase as compared to ampicillin and is more stable in culture
   Powder10177012
Neomycin sulfate
See detailsInhibits bacterial protein synthesis and is used to select for cells expressing a neomycin resistance gene
   Powder21810031
Polymyxin B sulfate
See detailsActs as a selection agent by interfering with bacterial cell membrane permeability in nonresistant cells
   Powder21850029
Streptomycin sulfate
See detailsActs as a selection agent by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis in nonresistant cells
   Powder11860038
Kanamycin sulfate
See detailsInhibits bacterial protein synthesis and can be used to select for cells that have been transformed with a  kanamycin-resistant gene
   Powder11815024
Liquid15160054

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