Fetal bovine serum (FBS) has been an established additive in cell culture media for decades. Its unique growth-promoting properties make it a valuable and indispensable ingredient for the cultivation of a wide range of cell types.
Until now, researchers as well as biopharmaceutical manufacturers are dependent on a regular supply of serum. They are often at the mercy of the difficulties found in availability and fluctuating prices in the market. In cooperation with the University of Frankfurt, we have developed a new product to target these issues and to lead the way into a more defined culture environment.
FBS Xtra
FBS Xtra combines high-quality FBS with growth-promoting factors such as insulin, transferrin, trace elements, and amino acids in a chemically-defined and recombinant form. By supplementing with these highly pure and defined components, it is possible to significantly reduce the content of fetal bovine serum.
Our team at Capricorn Scientific has developed an alternative to traditional FBS in collaboration with the University of Applied Science Frankfurt am Main.
FBS Xtra is produced with key components responsible for successful and controlled cell growth and a reduced serum concentration. This creates more defined growth conditions while keeping batch-to-batch variations to a minimum.
Extensive performance tests with several widely used cell lines showed that FBS Xtra achieved even better results than standard FBS for many cell types. FBS Xtra preserves regular cell morphology while leading to a better viability of your cells and reducing cellular stress!
The viability of different cell lines, cultured with FBS Xtra in reference to standard FBS, showed comparable or even better results.
The p38 MAP kinase gets initiated by a variety of cellular stresses. It is activated by phosphorylation to help the cells adapt and cope with noxious conditions. High levels of phosphorylated p38 signify a more stressful environment.
Two weeks after cultivation of HEK293 cells, supplemented with 10% standard FBS versus 10% FBS Xtra, phosphorylated p38 was measured as a percentage to the total amount of p38.
For FBS Xtra, reduced levels of p38 phosphorylation were observed, when compared to standard culture conditions.