Human Serum for Human Cell Culture
For the cultivation of human cells, human serum can be a suitable alternative to animal sera such as FBS. A key advantage is that the use of human serum prevents animal serum components from being introduced into the cell culture. At the same time, the serum and the cultured cells come from the same species, which allows for the creation of conditions that are as close as possible to physiological conditions for human in vitro applications. We offer high-quality human serum:
Human Serum - Natural human serum, clotted with CaCl₂
Human Serum AB Male - From male donors with blood type AB, clotted with CaCl₂
Human Serum, off-the-clot - Human serum, naturally clotted, without anticoagulants
Human Serum AB Male, off-the-clot - from male donors with blood type AB, naturally clotted, without anticoagulants
Human platelet lysate
How do Bio&SELL’s human serums differ?
Human Serum
Classic human serum is derived from human plasma or whole blood. During the extraction process, the clotting factors are removed from the plasma; after which cellular and solid components are separated by centrifugation. The serum contains, among other things, growth factors, vitamins, nutrients, trace elements, and transport factors.
Bio&SELL Human Serum is derived from plasma or whole blood donations from healthy donors at certified institutions in Europe or the United States. Each donation is screened for viral infections, tested, and documented.
Human Serum AB Male
Human Serum AB Male is derived exclusively from the plasma of male donors with blood type AB. It is free of anti-A and anti-B antibodies and can therefore reduce the risk of adverse blood group reactions. The pooled serum from male donors also helps ensure the most consistent product quality possible. Bio&SELL recommends this variant specifically for immunological and hematopoietic studies.
Human Serum “Off-the-Clot”
In “off-the-clot” human serum, blood clotting occurs naturally at room temperature without the addition of anticoagulants. After clotting, the blood clot is removed, and the serum is purified via depth and membrane filtration. This variant may be of interest for applications where naturally clotted human serum is desired.
Human Serum AB Male “off-the-clot”
Human Serum AB Male “off-the-clot” combines the properties of a naturally clotted serum with the advantages of an AB male serum. It is derived from whole blood from male AB donors without anticoagulants and is free of anti-A and anti-B antibodies. The product is suitable, among other things, for immunological and hematopoietic studies, as well as for the culture of primary human cells.
FAQs
Human Serum Instead of FBS - When Is It a Good Choice?
Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a well-established supplement for numerous cell culture applications. However, when human cells are to be cultured under conditions that are as specific to humans as possible, human serum can be an interesting alternative.
A key advantage of human serum is that it contains no interfering animal serum components. This can be particularly relevant for applications where the species of the serum supplement matters. Bio&SELL recommends a gradual adaptation of the cells when switching from FBS to human serum.
How is human serum used in cell culture?
The appropriate serum concentration depends on the specific cell line, the culture medium, and the application. Bio&SELL generally recommends a concentration range of 5 - 20% in cell culture for the human sera it offers.
When switching from FBS to human serum, the transition should be gradual. Bio&SELL recommends initially culturing the cells for about 4 - 6 days using a 10% serum mixture consisting of 5% FBS and 5% human serum. Subsequently, the cell culture can be switched to human serum at a concentration of 5 - 20%.
However, the optimal concentration should always be determined based on the specific cell line and the particular experimental protocol.
How are the quality and safety of human sera ensured?
For human sera, origin, donor selection, and quality control are key criteria. Bio&SELL human sera are sourced from donations by healthy donors at certified institutions in Europe or the U.S. Every single plasma or whole blood donation is screened for viral infections, verified, and documented. The human sera offered are also sterile-filtered.
This makes the products suitable for demanding research applications where traceable origin and documented quality control of the serum supplement are important.
Which human serum is suitable for which application?
Which human serum is most suitable depends on the cell line, the intended application, and the requirements for the serum. Human serum is suitable as a general human serum supplement for various cell culture applications. AB Male is particularly useful when a serum free of anti-A and anti-B antibodies is required. The “off-the-clot” variants offer the additional advantage of natural clotting without anticoagulants.
With its range of human sera and human platelet lysate, Bio&SELL offers suitable options for cell culture, immunology, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and biomedical research.
