In 1951, Harry Eagle determined thirteen amino acids minimally required to sustain the growth of most mammalian cells in culture. This led to his creation of the Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) now widely used for cultivating a wide variety of mammalian cell types in monolayer or suspension. The original recipe includes 29 components: 13 amino acids including glutamine, 8 vitamins, 6 salts, glucose, and additional serum protein as a supplement. MEM is simply a modified Basal Medium Eagle media containing higher concentrations of essential nutrients to more closely resemble the protein content of human cells. The optional supplementation of non-essential amino acids (NEAA) to the formulations that incorporate either Hanks’ or Earle’s salts has broadened the usefulness of this medium. However, depending on the application, numerous different commercial MEM formulations are available, such as low-serum, serum-free, with or without glutamine, and with or without phenol red. The formulation has been further modified by optional elimination of calcium to permit the growth of cells in suspension. MEM α is a modification of Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) that contains non-essential amino acids, sodium pyruvate, thioctic acid, vitamin B12, biotin, and ascorbic acid. MEM with Earle’s Balanced Salts, is suitable for use in atmospheres charged with CO₂ gas. MEM with Hanks’ Salts formulation is suitable for use without CO₂.

Recommended use :
– Respect storage conditions of the product
– Do not use the product after its expiry date
– Store product in an area protected from light (not necessary for saline solutions).
– Manipulate the product in aseptic conditions (e.g. : under laminar air flow)
– Wear clothes adapted to the manipulation of the product to avoid contamination (e.g. : gloves, mask, hygiene cap, overall…)
-The product is intended to be used in vitro, in laboratory only. Do not use it in therapy, human or veterinary applications.

Uses :
Supplements, such as antibiotics, should be added as sterile supplements to the medium.
Storage conditions and shelf-life of supplemented product will be affected by the nature of the supplements.

Sterile serum should not be refiltered before or after being added to sterile medium because growth promoting capacity may be reduced upon re-filtration.

Signs of Deterioration :
Medium should be clear and free of particulate and flocculent material. Do not use if medium is cloudy or contains precipitate.
Other evidence of deterioration may include color change or degradation of physical or performance characteristics.

Composition : Displayed on the website and in the catalog; also available on request.