chemically defined DMEM/F12

PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 (CD-DMEM F-12)

(43 customer reviews)

PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 is a serum-free, chemically defined DMEM/F12 medium containing L-alanyl-L-glutamine and a proprietary mix of synthetic growth factors. This chemically defined DMEM/F12 provides a fully controlled, animal-component–free environment, enabling reproducible mammalian cell culture, easier regulatory compliance, and a smooth, step wise transition from FIBS-containing media.

SKU: N/A Categories: Cell Culture Media, DMEM F-12 Tags: Advanced, Cell Culture, DMEM, DMEM-F12, Dulbecco's, Human Transferrin, L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine, Recombinant Insulin, Serum Reduction

Description

PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 for Serum-Free Mammalian Cell Culture (CD- DMEM/F12)

Product Description

PurMa™ Chemically Defined (CD) DMEM/F12 is an advanced  serum-free and animal-component–free medium formulated for highly reproducible mammalian cell culture.  It contains only fully defined components, including amino acids, vitamins, salts, sugars, L‑alanyl‑L‑glutamine, and a proprietary synthetic cocktail of growth factors and hormones, eliminating the variability associated with FBS and other undefined supplements.

Traditional DMEM/F12 formulations depend on serum for growth factors and survival signals, which introduces lot-to-lot variability and complicates regulatory compliance. In contrast, PurMa™CD DMEM/F12 provides known quantities of pure chemicals and synthetic growth factors, creating a consistent and tightly controlled environment for in vitro cell growth, process development, and mechanistic studies.

 

Chemically Defined media graph

Key Features of PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12

  •  PurMa chemically defined DMEMF12 contains  no animal-derived or undefined components
  • Contains L‑alanyl‑L‑glutamine (DMEM/F12 MAX formulation) for improved stability and longer shelf life
  • Proprietary synthetic cocktail of growth factors, hormones, and nutrients – independent of serum
  • CD-DMEM/F12chemically defined medium offers high reproducibility for research, bioprocess development, and regulatory applications
  • Designed for custom formulations tailored to diverse mammalian and primary cell types
  • CD-DMEMF12 is in fact the serum free type of  dulbeccos modified eagle medium F12 which proven to supports robust cell growth and viability in serum-free conditions

The core of this chemically defined DMEM/F12 is the DMEM/F12 MAX base, which includes L‑alanyl‑L‑glutamine in place of free L‑glutamine to minimize ammonia buildup, increase pH stability, and reduce the risk of contamination. The addition of well-characterized synthetic growth factors and hormones allows the medium to fully support cell proliferation without any FBS.

Gradual Transition from FBS to Chemically Defined DMEM/F12

To adapt cells from serum-containing media to PurMa™ chemically defined DMEM/F12, a gradual reduction of FBS is strongly recommended:

  • Start: Control in 10% FBS (standard medium)
  • Parallel control: 10% FBS + PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12
  • Then, every 48 hours reduce FBS in PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 to: 8%, 6%, 4%, 2%, then 1%
  • Final step (after 24 hours at 1%): 0% FBS with only PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12

At each step, spin down the cells, fully discard the old medium, and replace with fresh medium containing the next lower FBS percentage. It is not necessary to start with very high cell numbers, but using more than one plate is recommended because some plates may become contaminated.

Once cells are fully adapted to PurMa™ chemically defined DMEM/F12, they should remain in the same chemically defined formulation and vendor, including during freezing and thawing. After adaptation, prepare multiple plates and freeze several vials. During the first week after thawing, supplement PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 with 10% PurMa™ CD Booster (Cat# P3C10144) to support recovery.

Formulation Overview

PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 is based on the DMEM/F12 MAX formulation, which includes:DMEM/F12 MAX Formulation

  • L‑alanyl‑L‑glutamine (stable dipeptide)
  • High-glucose DMEM/F12 components (amino acids, vitamins, salts, sugars)
  • Optimized buffering system for pH stability
  • Proprietary, fully synthetic growth factors, hormones, and nutrients

The  chemically defined DMEM/F12 is independent of any serum addition, enabling consistent, regulatory-friendly cell culture workflows.

FAQ

Q1. What is PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12?
A1. PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12 is a serum-free, animal-component–free, CDDMEM/F12 medium. It contains only pure, known chemicals and a proprietary mixture of synthetic growth factors and hormones, providing a fully controlled environment for mammalian cell culture and high experimental reproducibility.

Q2. How is PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12 different from standard DMEM/F12 with FBS?
A2. Standard DMEM/F12 with FBS relies on undefined, animal-derived components, leading to variability between batches. PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12 removes serum and all undefined components, replacing them with defined nutrients and synthetic growth factors. This improves consistency, facilitates regulatory compliance, and allows more precise control of cellular responses.

Q3. Why does the medium use L-alanyl-L-glutamine (MAX formulation)?
A3. L‑alanyl‑L‑glutamine is a stable dipeptide that prevents rapid L‑glutamine degradation and ammonia buildup. By using this MAX formulation in our chemically defined DMEM/F12, the medium offers longer shelf life, better pH stability, and a reduced risk of toxicity or contamination compared to media containing free L‑glutamine.

Q4. How do I transition my cells from FBS-containing media to PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12?
A4. Gradually reduce FBS while increasing the proportion of PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12. Start with 10% FBS, then step down to 8%, 6%, 4%, 2%, and 1% every 48 hours, spinning down cells and fully replacing the medium at each step. Finally, move to 0% FBS with only PurMa™ CD DMEM/F12. Maintaining parallel controls in standard 10% FBS is recommended for comparison.

 

References

  1.  Clonal growth of mammalian cells in a chemically defined, synthetic medium . DULBECCO et al. 1959 Jul;8(3):396-7. doi: 10.1016 /0042-68 22(59)90043-1. PMID: 13669362.
  2. Plaque production by the polyoma virus. DULBECCO et al. 1959 Jul;8(3):396-7. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(59)90043-1. PMID: 1366936.
  3. Evaluation of a simple protein free medium that supports high levels of monoclonal antibody production. Qi et al. 1996 Jun;21(2):95-109. doi: 10.1007/BF02215660. PMID: 22358660.
Parameter Specification
Appearance Red, clear liquid
pH 7.2 ± 0.1
Osmolality 288-336 mOsm/L
Endotoxin NMT< 2EU/mL
Mycoplasma Negative
Suitability  Suitable for mammalian cell culture
Additive Sodium pyruvate
Indicator Phenol red
Mycoplasma Detection Negative
Sterility Tested Sterile filtered using 0.0.1 µm filter, 3 Times
Form Liquid
Shipping Condition  Room temperature, Overnight

 

Additional information

Condition

CD-DMEM F-12 Standard Formulation, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Phenol Red, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Sodium Bicarbonate, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Sodium Pyruvate, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Glucose, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Lipoic Acid, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine, w/o Phenol Red, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Phenol Red, w/o Sodium Bicarbonate, CD-DMEM F-12 Low Glucose (1.5 g/L), CD-DMEM F-12 Low Sodium Bicarbonate (1.2 g/L), CD-DMEM F-12 15 mM HEPES (3.6 g/L), CD-DMEM F-12 15 mM HEPES (3.6 g/L), Low Sodium Bicarbonate (1.2 g/L), CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Sodium Pyruvate, w/o phenol Red, CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Phenol Red, with 15 mM HEPES (3.6 g/L), CD-DMEM F-12 w/o Phenol Red, Low Sodium Bicarbonate (1.2 g/L)
Size

1X 100 ml, 1X 1000 ml, 1X 500 ml

43 reviews for PurMa™ Chemically Defined DMEM/F12 (CD-DMEM F-12)

  1. azadi@live.ca –

    Review: we have purchased Lipid Depleted FBS , DMEM F12 …. they were good quality and decent price
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 29-Jan-2025 23:10:30
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  2. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 21-Feb-2025 15:30:00
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  3. Gregory-Mullen@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: 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!
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 21-Feb-2025 15:46:22
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  4. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 24-Feb-2025 13:50:14
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  5. lrothblu@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Serum worked beautifully. Cells grew well and had their usual cycle time. Tissue culture medium also worked very well.
    Have you purchased: It is my first Purchase
    Time of submission: 24-Feb-2025 13:53:22
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  6. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 27-Feb-2025 17:42:44
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  7. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 05-Mar-2025 16:31:44
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  8. michael-rudolph@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: I have worked directly with PurMa biologics on a number of projects ongoing in my lab. I find the media and the specialty Lipid Depleted Serum to be high quality and very consistent among batches, which is critical to our adipogenesis projects using primary stem cells. Also, the service from PurMa is outstanding for my lab.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 05-Mar-2025 16:35:21
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  9. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 05-Mar-2025 17:29:13
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  10. Anonymous –

    Review:
    Have you purchased:
    Time of submission: 10-Mar-2025 14:32:38
    Ease of placing the order: ‘not given’

  11. jkurien@hausbio.com –

    Review: 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.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 12-Mar-2025 12:34:09
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  12. hyeungk1968@gmail.comthe –

    Review: I used Lipid Free horse serum of PurMa Biologics.
    The quality is great!
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 17-Mar-2025 12:09:58
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  13. jaya-krishnan@omrf.org –

    Review: I started my lab using the regular Gibco media components. We have shifted to Purma past 6 months and see no difference in the quality of our cell culture. Simply saying that Purma is cheaper, quicker to deliver and as good as Gibco. The best part was that Purma customized several media for our fish cell lines which was really helpful. Lastly, Seif walked through the customization of media over Zoom, that gave a lot of confidence for using those media solutions.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 17-Mar-2025 14:22:58
    Ease of placing the order: 4/5

  14. tayyab-afzal@omrf.org –

    Review: We bought Premium FBS and DMEM cell culture media from PurMa Biologics. We are using them for several mammalian cell line and primary cell culture and the cell growth is perfectly fine. We are totally satisfied with the product quality. Importantly as local vendor, we can have the product available as per our demand ASAP.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 18-Mar-2025 10:01:50
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  15. Fitzkr@gmail.com –

    Review: We purchase everything we need related to cell and tissue culture from PurMa, reagents like: DMEM, LL15, EMEM, FBS, trypsin, antibiotics mix100X and…
    Always great quality, fast processing and shipping.
    We are totally satisfied.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 22-Mar-2025 10:47:00
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  16. vmadka@ouhsc.edu –

    Review:
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 24-Mar-2025 15:02:40
    Ease of placing the order: 4/5

  17. Anupam-Mandal@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Excellent
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 24-Mar-2025 15:05:43
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  18. rohan-varshney@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Reliable and dependable products. We purchased lipid-depleted FBS (LD-FBS) from PurMa Biologics and it worked great. We cross-checked the lipid content in the serum by GC-MS and Triglyceride assay and as advertised, did not find any lipids in the FBS.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 24-Mar-2025 15:06:38
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  19. Surendra-Shukla@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Very fast, efficient, and economic service. Great for new PIs like me.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 25-Apr-2025 14:00:04
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  20. vmadka@ouhsc.edu –

    Review:
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 24-Mar-2025 15:02:40
    Ease of placing the order: 4/5

  21. Anupam-Mandal@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Excellent
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 24-Mar-2025 15:05:43
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  22. anil-singh@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: NA
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 25-Mar-2025 10:11:14
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  23. Surendra-Shukla@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Best quality products, best price.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 18-Apr-2025 09:51:03
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  24. madhusmita-rout@ouhsc.edu –

    Review:
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 21-Apr-2025 11:15:46
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  25. alexholloway@mesogen.com –

    Review: This serum appears to be a high quality product and worked well for our needs. Purma has an extensive catalog for cell culturing supplies which we are glad we came across.
    Have you purchased: It is my first Purchase
    Time of submission: 24-Apr-2025 16:54:29
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  26. jkurien@hausbio.com –

    Review: 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.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 12-Mar-2025 12:34:09
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  27. lrothblu@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: Serum worked beautifully. Cells grew well and had their usual cycle time. Tissue culture medium also worked very well.
    Have you purchased: It is my first Purchase
    Time of submission: 24-Feb-2025 13:53:22
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  28. hyeungk1968@gmail.comthe –

    Review: I used Lipid Free horse serum of PurMa Biologics.
    The quality is great!
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 17-Mar-2025 12:09:58
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  29. jaya-krishnan@omrf.org –

    Review: I started my lab using the regular Gibco media components. We have shifted to Purma past 6 months and see no difference in the quality of our cell culture. Simply saying that Purma is cheaper, quicker to deliver and as good as Gibco. The best part was that Purma customized several media for our fish cell lines which was really helpful. Lastly, Seif walked through the customization of media over Zoom, that gave a lot of confidence for using those media solutions.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 17-Mar-2025 14:22:58
    Ease of placing the order: 4/5

  30. michael-rudolph@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: I have worked directly with PurMa biologics on a number of projects ongoing in my lab. I find the media and the specialty Lipid Depleted Serum to be high quality and very consistent among batches, which is critical to our adipogenesis projects using primary stem cells. Also, the service from PurMa is outstanding for my lab.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 05-Mar-2025 16:35:21
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  31. tayyab-afzal@omrf.org –

    Review: We bought Premium FBS and DMEM cell culture media from PurMa Biologics. We are using them for several mammalian cell line and primary cell culture and the cell growth is perfectly fine. We are totally satisfied with the product quality. Importantly as local vendor, we can have the product available as per our demand ASAP.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 18-Mar-2025 10:01:50
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  32. Fitzkr@gmail.com –

    Review: We purchase everything we need related to cell and tissue culture from PurMa, reagents like: DMEM, LL15, EMEM, FBS, trypsin, antibiotics mix100X and…
    Always great quality, fast processing and shipping.
    We are totally satisfied.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 22-Mar-2025 10:47:00
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  33. Gregory-Mullen@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: 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!
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 21-Feb-2025 15:46:22
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  34. azadi@live.ca –

    Review: we have purchased Lipid Depleted FBS , DMEM F12 …. they were good quality and decent price
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 29-Jan-2025 23:10:30
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  35. Ravi-Gor@ouhsc.edu –

    Review: I recently had the pleasure of interacting with Dr. Seif Azadi, and I want to express my gratitude for his expertise and timely assistance. His knowledge and dedication were instrumental in addressing our lab’s needs efficiently.
    Have you purchased: It is my first Purchase
    Time of submission: 25-Jun-2025 12:00:09
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  36. xiangpeng-li@ou.edu –

    Review: PurMa helped us with the customized medium. They are professional and friendly. I appreciate their great work.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 14-Aug-2025 12:59:31
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  37. jianhua.song@appliedstemcell.com –

    Review: it is reliable vendor!
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 07-Oct-2025 17:14:12
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  38. Zhenghui.Liu@appliedstemcell.com –

    Review: We always buy our agarose from PurMa and have never been disappointed.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 08-Oct-2025 11:17:53
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  39. ravi-gor@ou.edu –

    Review: 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!
    Have you purchased: It is my first Purchase
    Time of submission: 23-Oct-2025 17:30:25
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  40. info@takbiotechs.com –

    Review: We are extremely satisfied with the quality and consistency of PURMA Biologics products. Both the FBS and cell culture media have delivered excellent performance in our applications, with reliable batch-to-batch consistency. Highly recommended for research and bioprocessing use.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 11-Apr-2026 14:49:27
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  41. aslan.batur@aytakbiotech.com –

    Review: We’ve had a great experience with PURMA Biologics products. In particular, their FBS has shown excellent consistency and performance, and their DMEM media has worked very well in our cell culture applications. Overall, very reliable quality.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 11-Apr-2026 14:57:39
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  42. maya.hart@takbiomed.com –

    Review: 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.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 11-Apr-2026 15:06:47
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

  43. hajipour@etsu.edu –

    Review: PurMa products are of excellent quality and highly reliable.
    Have you purchased: Yes
    Time of submission: 11-Apr-2026 16:23:59
    Ease of placing the order: 5/5

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

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