Advanced MEM (Minimum Essential medium) is a widely used basal medium that allows the culture of mammalian cells with reduced Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) supplementation. Compared to classic MEM, serum supplementation can be reduced by 50-90% with no change in growth rate or morphology.ⁱ Cells successfully cultured in Advanced DMEM / F-12, with no adaptation, include PK-15, MDCK, Vero, WI-38 and Hep-2.

The complete formulation is available.

Gibco™ Advanced MEM is unique from other media due to addition of the following ingredients to allow for serum reduction: ethanolamine, glutathione, ascorbic acid, insulin, transferrin, AlbuMAX™ I lipid-rich bovine serum albumin for cell culture, and the trace elements sodium selenite, ammonium metavanadate, cupric sulfate, and manganous chloride.

Product Use
For Research Use Only. Not intended for animal or human diagnostic or therapeutic use.

Advanced MEM requires supplementation with 1-5% Fetal Bovine Serum and 4mM L-glutamine or GlutaMAX™ supplement. Many cell lines do not require adaptation to this media. The FBS concentration must be optimized for each cell line to obtain maximum serum reduction. Advanced DMEM uses a sodium bicarbonate buffer system (3.7 g/L) and therefore requires a 5-10% CO₂ environment to maintain physiological pH.

ⁱPaul Price, Brad Stiles, David Staines, Ethel Evege, Femi Fatunmbi, Kate Wagner, Lori Nestler, David Jayme. Advanced Media as Alternatives to Classical Basal Media. FOCUS, 2003. 25.2:3-6.