Cell Culture Guides & Resources
Clear, practical guides to cell culture media, sera, buffers and reagents from the PurMa Biologics team. Use these to understand what each product is, what it contains, and how to choose and use it.
Cell Culture Media
What Is DMEM?What it contains, low versus high glucose, and how it compares with MEM and DMEM/F-12.What Is DMEM/F-12?Why the 1:1 blend of DMEM and Ham’s F-12 is so widely used, and which cells it suits.What Is EMEM?What Eagle’s Minimal Essential Medium contains, and how it differs from DMEM.What Is RPMI 1640?Built for lymphocytes, suspension and immune cells. How it compares with DMEM.What Is IMDM?Iscove’s modification of DMEM, and the fast growing cultures it was designed for.What Is McCoy’s 5A?What it contains and which cells it suits, including HT-29 and primary cultures.What Is Ham’s F-12K?Kaighn’s modification, how it relates to F-12, and the demanding lines it supports.What Is GMEM?Made for BHK-21 cells. What it contains and how it differs from BME and MEM.What Is William’s E Medium?The standard choice for hepatocyte culture. What it contains and how to use it.What Is L-15 Medium?Holds the right pH without a CO2 incubator. What it contains and which cells it suits.Cell Culture Media ComponentsSalts, buffers, serum and the rest, and what each component is actually doing.L-15 and Cell ViabilityWhy L-15 needs no CO2 incubator, and the two mistakes labs most often make with it.
Serum
What Is Fetal Bovine Serum Used For?Where FBS is used across culture and bioproduction, plus its benefits, risks and alternatives.What Is Horse Serum?What it contains and where it is used, from muscle cell differentiation to routine maintenance.What Is Bovine Calf Serum?How it compares with FBS, and when it is the more economical choice.
Buffers, Salt Solutions & Water
What Is PBS?What it contains, how it is used for washing and diluting, and how it differs from DPBS.What Is HBSS?What Hanks’ Balanced Salt Solution contains, what it is for, and how it differs from EBSS.What Is HEPES Buffer?How it holds pH steady outside a CO2 incubator, how to use it, and what to watch for.PBS Solution CompositionWhat PBS is, how it is used to wash cells, plus 1X and 10X recipes, pH and quality control.10X PBS RecipePrecise measurements, sterilization, and the details that keep it reproducible batch to batch.ACK Lysing BufferRed blood cell removal step by step, with prep guidance and troubleshooting for clean isolation.Choosing a Cell Culture BufferHBSS, PBS, DPBS, EBSS, HEPES and MES compared, and how to pick the right one.
Reagents & Cryopreservation
What Is Trypsin?Why it is paired with EDTA, which concentration to use, and a step by step protocol.What Is Pen-Strep?How it guards against bacterial contamination, how to use it at 1X, and when to leave it out.What Is Cryoprotective Media?How DMSO protects cells during freezing, DMSO free options, and how to freeze and thaw.
Comparison Guides
DMEM vs DMEM/F-12Nutrient and trace element differences, and which cell types each one supports.DMEM vs MEMNutrient concentration, and which cell lines each one supports best.DMEM vs RPMI 1640Glucose, nutrients, CO2 requirements and the cell types each one fits.PBS vs DPBSFormulation, calcium and magnesium, and when the difference actually matters.EBSS vs HBSSBicarbonate levels, CO2 requirements, and which applications suit each.Horse Serum vs FBSSource, growth factors, cost, and where each supplement earns its place.FBS vs Serum-Free MediaComposition, consistency, regulatory profile, and how to choose between them.DEPC Water vs Autoclaved WaterThe real difference between the two, and which one your protocol needs.
Contamination and Troubleshooting
Yeast ContaminationHow to spot it early, what lets it in, and how to treat it without losing the culture.Fungal ContaminationIdentifying, eradicating and preventing fungal outbreaks, and the routes they usually take.Cell Culture ContaminationThe three routes in, bacterial, fungal and mycoplasma, and how to handle each one.Eradicating MycoplasmaA five step protocol for clearing mycoplasma, drawn from thirty years of doing it.
Protocols and Techniques
Transwell Migration AssayProtocol steps, quantification and troubleshooting for publication ready results.Bradford Assay ProtocolReagent prep, the BSA standard curve, the microplate method, and what to do when it drifts.Live/Dead StainingChoosing reagents, optimizing the protocol, and reading results for microscopy or flow.His-Tag Protein PurificationIMAC strategy, buffer optimization, and the failure modes that catch people out.Density Gradient CentrifugationSeparating cells, organelles and viruses using Percoll, Ficoll and other gradient media.In Vitro TranscriptionDesigning templates, optimizing RNA synthesis, and purifying the transcripts afterwards.EcoRI Restriction EnzymeRecognition sites, cutting conditions, and practical tips for reliable cloning.0.22 Micron Sterile FiltrationHow it works, 0.22 versus 0.45 micron, reuse, and what protein binding costs you.
Looking for the product rather than the guide?
PurMa manufactures every reagent covered above in house, in the USA, with a Certificate of Analysis on every lot. Bulk pricing, purchase orders and custom formulations are all welcome.
