FBS remains a popular media supplement because it provides a wide array of functions in cell culture. FBS delivers nutrients, growth and attachment factors and protects cells from oxidative damage and apoptosis by mechanisms that are difficult to reproduce in serum-free media (SFM) systems.
Application
FBS derived from clotted blood is the most widely used undefined supplement in eucaryotic, especially mammalian, cell culture. It is typically used with the classical media that were developed in the 1950s and 1960s. These include many popular media such as Minimum Essential Medium (MEM); Dulbecco′s Modified Eagles Media (DME, DMEM); Iscove′s Modified Eagles Medium (IMDM); M199 and Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium, RPMI-1640.