Fetal Bovine Serum

Fetal bovine serum (FBS) or fetal calf serum is the blood fraction remaining after the natural coagulation of blood. It comes from the blood drawn from a bovine fetus via a closed system of collection at the slaughterhouse. It is the most widely used serum-supplement for the in vitro cell culture of eukaryotic cells.

FBS sourced from USDA approved non-USA countries is used in a broad range of cell culture applications. FBS provides many non-defined growth promoting and survival enhancing factors to cells in culture.

Fetal Bovine Serum has been used for the following cell cultures:

• Primary Culture Human Macrophages (mononuclear cells were re-suspended in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium containing fetal bovine serum (FBS) along with other components).
• Tissue Culture (MEFs were cultured in DMEM supplemented with FBS along with components).
• Isolation and 3D culture of primary mammary epithelial organoids
• Cell culture and medium (HUVECs were grown in Endothelial Cell Growth Medium-2 supplemented with FBS and growth factors)

USDA Approved Sourcing refers to FBS produced from blood collected in countries outside of the United States that have been approved by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for export of beef products into the United States. Eligible countries for export into the U.S. include Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Uruguay. Foreign serum is tested to ensure the absence of exotic viruses before release by the USDA.