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Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer
Minimum Essential Media MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer contains L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine, therefore supplying a longer shelf life. MEM-MAX in HBBS significantly improves cell viability and growth. We manufacture several types of MEM-MAX based on your requirements.
Description
Background
Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer is a commonly used media for Mammalian cell culture.
Advantages
The advantages of Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer over MEM are:
- Higher PH Capacity
- Moreover, it contains 4 mM L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (0.869 g/L) instead of L-Glutamine and therefore:
- Possess longer shelf life.
- More importantly, minimizes toxic ammonia build-up.
- Significantly improves cell viability and growth.
- Remains stable across a wide range of temperatures.
- Improves the culture of primary cells.
Mechanism
Although L-glutamine is a vital amino acid, it degrades, generating toxic ammonia and pyrrolidine carboxylic acid. One way to minimize L-glutamine degradation in media is to gradually add these amino acids to your cell culture. However, keeping track of time to keep the amount of L-glutamine at the same level is tedious, if not impossible.
Alternatively, L-alanyl-L-glutamine can be used because it is much more stable in aqueous solutions. More importantly, it does not easily degrade and gradually releases aminopeptidases. As a result, L-glutamine and L-alanine are then used by the cells for protein production in the TCA cycle.
In addition to our Max formulation products, we manufacture PurMaTM GluaSup (Cat# P3S210 559), a combination of L-alanyl-L-glutamine that prevents the degradation of L-glutamine.
Contents
Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer contains:
- 5 mM sodium pyruvate
- High glucose (4.5g/L)
- Non-Essential Amino Acids
- 3.7 g/L Sodium Bicarbonate; PurMa Biologics Manufactures several types of Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer based on the amount of Sodium Bicarbonate and HEPES (PH capacity)
- Phenol Red
Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer contains no proteins, lipids, or growth factors. Therefore, it requires supplementation, commonly with 10% Fetal bovine Serum (FBS).
Formulation
For the complete formulation click here: MEM-MAX (HBSS) Formulation in Hanks’ Buffer
References
- Culture of granulosa cells in collagen gels: the influence of cell shape on steroidogenesis. Carnegie JA, et al. Biol Reprod. 1988 May;38(4):881-90. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod38.4.881. PMID: 3401543
- Myelin formation in rat dorsal root ganglion cultured in a serum-free medium. Ninomiya T, Takahashi K. J Anat. 1987 Jun;152:209-13. PMID: 3654371
- Long-term organ culture of hamster cheek pouch mucosa. Mock D, Main JH. J Oral Pathol. 1976 Jul;5(4):237-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1976.tb01770.x. PMID: 820846
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Red, clear liquid |
| pH | 7.2 ± 0.1 |
| Osmolality | 275-360 mOsm/L |
| Endotoxin | NMT< 2EU/mL |
| Mycoplasma | Negative |
| Suitability | Suitable for mammalian cell culture |
| Additive | N/A |
| Indicator | Phenol red |
| Mycoplasma Detection | Negative |
| Sterility Tested | Sterile filtered using 0.22 µm filter |
| Form | Liquid |
| Shipping Condition | Room temperature |
Additional information
| Condition | MEM- MAX (HBSS) Standard Formulation, MEM- MAX (HBSS) w/o Phenol Red, MEM- MAX (HBSS) w/o Sodium Bicarbonate, MEM- MAX (HBSS) w/o Glucose, MEM- MAX (HBSS) 15 mM HEPES (3.6 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) 25 mM HEPES (5.9 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) With Sodium Pyruvate (0.11 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) High Sodium Bicarbonate (0.85 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) High Glucose (4.5 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) 15 mM HEPES (3.6 g/L), High Glucose (4.5 g/L), MEM- MAX (HBSS) 25 mM HEPES (5.9 g/L), High Glucose (4.5 g/L) |
|---|---|
| Format | Liquid, Powder |
| Size | 10 X 1000ml, 10 X 500ml, 1 x 500 ml, 6 x 500 ml, 1 x 1000 ml, 6 x 1000 ml, 1 x 10 L, 1 x 50 L |
Documents
Certificate of Analysis (COA): Available upon request for your specific order — email info@purmabiologics.com and we will send the current lot documentation.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS): Available upon request — email info@purmabiologics.com.
What our customers say about PurMa Biologics
Feedback from labs we supply, across our full catalogue.
I recently had the pleasure of interacting with Dr. Seif Azadi from Purma Biologics, and I cannot thank him enough for his expertise and prompt assistance. His deep knowledge and dedication were instrumental in meeting our laboratory’s needs with remarkable efficiency. We ordered FBS, DMEM, and Trypsin from Purma Biologics, and I’m thrilled to report that all the products have performed exceptionally well. They consistently deliver reproducible results, significantly enhancing the reliability of our experiments. Thank you, Team Purma Biologics, for your good products and support!
It’s been a pleasure working with PURMA Biologics. Their service is efficient, delivery is fast, and the quality of their products has met our expectations consistently. Very smooth collaboration overall.
PurMa products are of excellent quality and highly reliable.
I've ordered cell culture media multiple times. Great prices and excellent customer service. The ordering process was smooth, and everything arrived as expected. I'll definitely be purchasing from them again.
We buy all of our cell culture media, fetal bovine sera, and lipid-depleted sera from PurMa. The quality of their reagents is absolutely top-notch, giving us reliable, repeatable results in our experiments. We highly recommend PurMa!
We have been working with PurMa biologics for the past several years, we buy cell culture related media like DMEM F12 and EMEM and Fetal Bovine Serum. We appreciate the high quality and reasonable price, and great customer service.
Frequently asked questions
How should I store Minimum Essential Media-MAX (MEM-MAX) in Hanks’ Buffer?
Store at 2 to 8 degrees C, protected from light, and do not freeze unless the label states otherwise. Freezing can precipitate salts and degrade light sensitive components such as riboflavin and folic acid. Always follow the storage line on the Certificate of Analysis for the specific lot.
What is the shelf life once opened?
Unopened and correctly stored, the typical shelf life is 12 months from manufacture. Once opened, use within about four weeks and always handle in a laminar flow hood, since the practical limit after opening is contamination risk rather than chemical stability.
Is it sterility and endotoxin tested?
Yes. Every lot is sterile filtered and tested for sterility and endotoxin, and a Certificate of Analysis is issued for each lot. The COA is available on request for any catalogue number.
Do I need to add L-glutamine?
It depends on the formulation you order. Standard formulations may contain free L-glutamine, which degrades in solution over time, while MAX formulations use a stable L-alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide that does not require fresh supplementation. Check the option you have selected before adding more.
Can I order this in bulk or as a custom formulation?
Yes. Bulk volumes and custom formulations are made to order, including adjusted glucose, bicarbonate, buffering and cation content. Use the request bulk pricing button on this page and include the specification you need.





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