Serum free medium
Serum-free medium (SFM) is a type of cell culture medium that is formulated to allow for cell culture in the absence of animal sera. SFM formulations are available for many primary cultures and cell lines, including recombinant protein-producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) lines, hybridoma cell lines, and cell lines acting as hosts for viral production.
SFM has several advantages over serum-supplemented media, including:
- Precise evaluations of cellular function
- Better control over physiological responsiveness
- Enhanced detection of cellular mediators
- Easier purification and downstream processing
There are several types of SFM available for different cell types and species. For example, a low-cost serum-free medium was recently described for sustained expansion of bovine satellite cells for cell cultured meat. This medium contains a simple mixture of basal media, minerals, and proteins, all of which can be found in animal tissue, making it likely to be producible in a food-safe manner. Another example is a defined-base serum-free medium system that permits the culture of a wide range of cell types up to several months and removes a major.
