Serumfree

Serumfree, or serum-free, describes cell culture systems that do not rely on animal serum, most commonly fetal bovine serum, as a component of the growth medium. In serumfree cultures, defined media replace serum with known quantities of nutrients, growth factors, hormones, and binding proteins. The aim is to reduce lot-to-lot variability, improve reproducibility, and lower risk of xenogeneic contaminants and pathogens, thereby facilitating standardization in research and production.

Two main categories are chemically defined serum-free media (CD-SFM), where all ingredients are known and quantified, and undefined or partially defined serum-free formulations that use protein-rich supplements to promote growth. Serumfree formulations are often tailored to specific cell types, such as mammalian cell lines, stem cells, or primary cells.

Common components include glucose, amino acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, and trace elements; defined carrier proteins such as recombinant albumin or transferrin; and growth factors or hormones such as insulin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF). Some systems also require adhesion substrates or extracellular matrix components (e.g., laminin, vitronectin) on coated vessels to support attachment and signaling.

Applications and advantages: serumfree media are widely used in basic research, stem cell biology, and commercial biopharmaceutical production due to reduced variability and lower contamination risk. They enable better process control and are favored where regulatory standards demand defined inputs.

Challenges include the need for cell adaptation, potential slower growth or altered differentiation, higher formulation costs, and the requirement for optimized culture conditions for each cell type.