Fetal bovine serum
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Fetal bovine serum ( or foetal bovine serum) is serum taken from the fetuses of cows. Fetal Bovine Serum is the most widely used serum in the culturing of cells.
In some papers the expression foetal calf serum is used.
[edit] See also
For further technical information on Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) please visit www.jrscientific.com.
[edit] Heat Inactivation of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS):
Dr. Sci. Agr. MSc. MVZ Patricio Ponce Barajas , Institute of Sciences in Human Reproduction, C.S. Research and experimental development in embryology and reproduction. Plaza de las Americas 115, Col. Jardinez del Moral, León, Gto. C.P. 37160 Phone/Fax: + (477) 779-08-35 / 779-08-36 / 779-08-37 URL: http://www.institutovida.com see also http://www.cuvillier.ch/flycms/de/html/30/-UickI3zKPSj7f0k=/Buchdetails.html?SID=efBxVoBfa43c and http://www.cuvillier.ch/flycms/de/html/31/-USczJGfHdzX2dk89/Autoren.html
Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) would be heated in a water bath at 56 °C prior to use in cell growth medium to destroy heat-labile complement proteins.
For this, take out the FBS containing bottle from the freezer (-20 or –80 °C), place it in the refrigerator at 4° to thaw overnight. Complete thawing of serum the following day by placing the FBS containing bottle in a water bath at 37 °C, the a water level should be higher than FBS level in the bottle and mix the FBS very well by inversion. Once FBS would be completely thawed, this should be incubated at 37 °C in the water bath for 15 min and mixed very well, but thoroughly, to equilibrate temperature.
Begin to raise the temperature setting of the water bath to 56 °C. Once the water bath reaches such temperature, at 56 °C, place the thawed bottle of serum into the 56°C water bath containing enough water to immerse the bottle until just above the level of the serum or more. During the incubation time, invert the bottle each 10 min to mix the serum. Measure 30 min exactly in the bath at 56 °C using a timer. After that, cool the Heat Inactivated FBS (HI-FBS) immediately by introducing the bottle in an ice bath and mixing thoroughly and very well by inversion the HI-FBS.
For few volumes of serum to be heat inactivated, less than 500 ml, reduce the time of incubation in the 56°C water bath. Take care, because heating the serum for longer than 35 minutes or higher than 60°C, could have an adverse effect on the efficacy of the serum in the cell culture and will most likely cause an increase in the amount of precipitate that might form.
At the end, the HI-FBS should be filtered through 0.45µm or 0.22µm filters using vacuum pump. Also, it could be filtered through 0.1µm or even 0.04µm porosity membranes assuring more purity. After that, performance aliquots of 50 ml or 100 ml of treated serum into conical tubes or bottles and store at 4 °C or freeze at – 20 °C or at –80 °C for more than 6 months.
