Serum Free Media
-In view of the disadvantages due to serum, extensive investigations have been made to develop serum-free formulations of culture media. These efforts were mainly based on the following three approaches:
(1) analytical approach based on the analysis of serum constituents,
(2) synthetic approach to supplement basal media by various combinations of growth factors, and
(3) limiting factor approach consisting of lowering the serum level in the medium till growth stops and then supplementing the medium with vitamins, amino acids, hormones, etc. till growth resumes.These approaches have resulted in several elaborate media formulations in which serum in sought to be replaced by a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, several other organic compounds, etc.; hormones, growth factors and other proteins are supplemented when required. However, addition of 5-20% of serum even in these media is essential for optimum growth.
(3) limiting factor approach consisting of lowering the serum level in the medium till growth stops and then supplementing the medium with vitamins, amino acids, hormones, etc. till growth resumes.These approaches have resulted in several elaborate media formulations in which serum in sought to be replaced by a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, several other organic compounds, etc.; hormones, growth factors and other proteins are supplemented when required. However, addition of 5-20% of serum even in these media is essential for optimum growth.
Advantages of Serum Free Media
- 1.
Improved reproducibility of results from different laboratories and over time since variation due to batch change of serum is avoided.
2. Easier downstream processing of products from cultured cells.
3. Toxic effects of serum are avoided.
4. Biassays are free from interference due to serum proteins.
5. There is no danger of degradation of sensitive proteins by serum proteases.
6. They permit selective culture of differentiated and producing cell types from the heterogenous cultures.
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