Cell culture media

Q: What is cell culture?

A:

Cell or tissue culture refers to the growth and maintenance of cells derived from tissues of an animal, from insect to human, in an artificial environment often referred to as in vitro. Read more

Q: What is the difference between primary and secondary cell culture?

A:

A primary cell culture refers to cells that have been removed from a live donor/specimen and have been established in an in vitro environment. Secondary cell culture refers to cell lines that have been immortalized and can divide indefinitely. Read more

Q: How many types of cell culture media are there?

A:

There are many types of cell culture media as the growth and metabolic requirements and biological environments of cultured cells are myriad. However, all cell culture media can be divided into two main groups – natural and artificial. Read more

Q: What are the advantages/ disadvantages of including serum in media?

A:

As serum is derived from natural tissues, adding serum to your cell culture growth media, provides your cell culture with some physiological elements. However, there are also disadvantages, particularly as the exact composition of serum is undefined. Read more

Q: How do I select the right cell culture media?

A:

Cell culture media have been targeted to specific cell culture types and have been tailored to provide a variety of different formulation options, so selecting the most appropriate cell type for your research is a crucial first step. Read more

Q: Cell culture tips and tricks

A:

Discover a range of cell culture tips and tricks Read more

Q: How often should you change your cell culture media?

A:

Depending on the cell type, media should be changed every 2-3 days, which normally coincides with what is called passaging. Read more

Q: How long does cell culture media last?

A:

In general, cell culture media lasts for 3-4 weeks once it has been opened and supplemented, though this will vary across cell culture media and the rate of usage Read more