When handling animal serum products, it is important to follow the recommended storage, thawing, and heat inactivation procedures.Storage:Serum should not be kept in a “frost-free” freezer unit. The repeated heating cycles of the freezer unit during its self-defrosting can be harmful to serum. Recommended storage temperature is –10 to –40°C.Thawing:1. Remove serum from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes.2. Place serum bottles in a 30 to 37°C water bath. It is very important that the temperature of the water bath not exceed 37°C. Higher temperatures may denature the proteins, potentially gelling the serum.3. Gently agitate each serum bottle every 10 minutes until completely thawed. Do not vigorously shake the bottles. Extreme agitation can cause foaming. It is very important that the serum be mixed thoroughly throughout the thawing process. Failure to agitate during the thawing process can cause the serum lipids and proteins to precipitate, resulting in turbidity or flocculence.4. It is important to remove the bottles from the water bath when completely thawed. Do not allow the bottles to remain in the water bath for an extended period. The serum should never become hot or very warm.5. When the serum is completely thawed, refrigerate promptly at 2 to 8 °C. For best results, aliquot serum into smaller, single-use sizes and return aliquots not intended for immediate use to the freezer.6. It is not uncommon for trace amounts of cryoprecipitate, fibrin, or flocculent matter to remain. This will not affect the performance of the serum. However, if one desires to eliminate these particles, it is recommended to return the serum to a 37°C water bath and gently swirl or mix it for several minutes. This will usually allow the proteins or lipids to go back into solution. This may also disappear when the serum is added to the culture media and incubated at 37 °C.Heat Inactivation:1. Prior to heat inactivation, thaw containers of serum according to the previously mentioned instructions . Allow containers to come to room temperature. Swirl bottles of serum immediately before adding to the water bath.2. A water-filled control bottles (T1) should be placed in a 56 °C water bath. Place the containers in the water bath up to the serum line. Do not completely submerge the containers. When the temperature of T1 reaches 56 °C start the timer set for 30 minutes. Do not allow temperatures to exceed 56 °C. Higher temperatures will denature the proteins, gel the serum or alter the performance of the serum.3. Gently swirl the bottles every 5 to 10 minutes while in the water bath and check the temperature in the control bottle. It is not uncommon for plastic containers to bow slightly after heat treatment. This is not harmful to the serum.4. At the end of 30 minutes remove the serum bottles from the water bath. Allow the bottles to return to room temperature before returning to the freezer. Failure to allow the serum to cool before freezing can cause the bottles to crack. If desirable, aliquot the serum into smaller volumes and then freeze. Sigma does not recommend repeated thaw-freeze cycles.
12003C
Fetal Bovine Serum
Australia origin, USDA approved, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Synonym(s):
Fetal Calf Sera, Fetal Calf Serum, FBS, FCS, sera, serum
About This Item
Recommended Products
biological source
bovine fetus
Quality Level
sterility
sterile-filtered
product line
FBS Premier
quality
USDA approved
composition
Hemoglobin, ≤25 mg/dL
origin
Australia origin
technique(s)
cell culture | mammalian: suitable
impurities
≤10 EU/mL endotoxin
shipped in
dry ice
storage temp.
−20°C
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Application
Analysis Note
- Endotoxin and hemoglobin tested
- Tested for the presence of bacteria, virus, and mycoplasma
- Triple filtered with 0.1 micron membrane under aseptic conditions
Footnote
also commonly purchased with this product
Storage Class Code
10 - Combustible liquids
WGK
WGK 3
Flash Point(F)
Not applicable
Flash Point(C)
Not applicable
Personal Protective Equipment
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Articles
Review the basics of using fetal bovine (or calf) serum for cell culture and how sourcing and regulations affect the price of sera for cell-based assays.
Review the basics of using fetal bovine (or calf) serum for cell culture and how sourcing and regulations affect the price of sera for cell-based assays.
Review the basics of using fetal bovine (or calf) serum for cell culture and how sourcing and regulations affect the price of sera for cell-based assays.
Review the basics of using fetal bovine (or calf) serum for cell culture and how sourcing and regulations affect the price of sera for cell-based assays.
Protocols
Protect your investment with best practices for storing and thawing FBS and other sera. Sample FBS for validation in your cell culture protocol.
Protect your investment with best practices for storing and thawing FBS and other sera. Sample FBS for validation in your cell culture protocol.
Related Content
Explore our portfolio of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and determine the right FBS for your lab needs and budget. Request a serum sample.
Explore our portfolio of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and determine the right FBS for your lab needs and budget. Request a serum sample.
Explore our portfolio of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and determine the right FBS for your lab needs and budget. Request a serum sample.
Explore our portfolio of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and determine the right FBS for your lab needs and budget. Request a serum sample.
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Can you provide a protocol for heat inactivation of frozen FBS?
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Once a bottle of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) is thawed, for how long can the bottle be used?
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Once Fetal Bovine Serum has been thawed, the bottle can be used in cell culture for up to 7 days for most cell types when stored refrigerated at 2-8°C. If the cells are not fastidous (e.g. HeLa or fibroblasts), the thawed and refrigerated serum can be used for up to 30 days. For some extremely fastidious cell lines, it may be necessary to screen individual lots for acceptable performance. For uses such as blocking for various immuno procedures, usage will generally be for 30 days and perhaps somewhat longer when stored at 2-8°C. For other procedures, usage beyond 30 days storage at 2-8°C will need to be determined.
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What is the Department of Transportation shipping information for this product?
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Transportation information can be found in Section 14 of the product's (M)SDS.To access the shipping information for this material, use the link on the product detail page for the product.
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