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Merck

Sera (Other)

Animal sera for cell culture

Serum is a sought-after supplement in cell culture media due to its mix of growth factors, hormones, attachment factors, buffering agents, and trace nutritional elements. Although fetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most common serum used to enrich culture media, many other animal sera can also be used to supplement cell culture, and in species-specific applications.

Animal sera are often used in immunodetection applications such as Western blot and immunohistochemistry, where antibodies are used to bind and detect target proteins on membranes or in tissue. Prior to antibody incubation, samples are incubated with animal serum to block nonspecific binding and enhance signal to noise ratio during detection.




Newborn and Adult Bovine Sera

Newborn calf serum can present a cost-effective alternative to FBS in media for many culture applications, and where a low antibody titer will not impact cells. Adult bovine serum may similarly be used as a basal media supplement to promote growth and proliferation. Choose from

  • Iron-supplemented serum from formula-fed calves
  • Calf serum of USA or New Zealand origin
  • Adult bovine serum (ABS) of USA origin

Sera from Other Animal Species

Beyond bovine serum, sera from other species may also be used as more cost-effective alternatives for supplementation of basal cell culture media, or for other applications. Equine and porcine sera, for example, have been used in the production of vaccines for both human and animal use. Animal sera are frequently used in immunodetection protocols such as IHC, ICC, and Western blot to block nonspecific binding.

We offer sera from diverse species that include:

  • Chicken
  • Porcine (pig)
  • Caprine (goat)
  • Equine (horse)
  • Ovine (sheep)
  • Canine (dog)
  • Goose
  • Rabbit
  • Guinea pig
  • Rat
  • Mouse
  • Coyote
  • Rhesus monkey
  • Baboon

Complement sera are
available from:

  • Rabbit
  • Guinea pig
  • Mouse


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