DMEM

DMEM, or Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, is a widely used basal medium for the in vitro culture of mammalian cells. It originated as a modification of Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) developed by Howard M. Dulbecco and colleagues in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and was expanded to support a broader range of cell types. DMEM is available in several formulations, with the most common being high-glucose (about 4.5 g/L) and low-glucose (about 1 g/L) variants. The exact composition can vary by supplier, but all versions provide a buffered environment designed for growth of adherent and some suspension cells.

The base medium contains nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, and carbohydrates, and is typically buffered with sodium bicarbonate and supplemented with a pH indicator, usually phenol red. Many DMEM formulations include L-glutamine as a critical nutrient, and some contain sodium pyruvate as an additional energy source. For routine cell culture, DMEM is commonly enhanced with fetal bovine serum or other serum supplements and may be used alongside antibiotics to reduce the risk of contamination. The medium is generally used in incubators with controlled CO2 and temperature, maintaining a physiological pH around 7.2 to 7.4.

DMEM is widely used for a variety of mammalian cell lines, including many adherent cells such as fibroblasts and epithelial cells. It is available as ready-to-use liquids or as a powder form that requires reconstitution. Related formulations, such as DMEM/F-12, combine elements of DMEM and Ham's F-12 and are chosen for specific cell types or experimental needs.