Animal serum in life science research
Animal serum provides proteins, nutrients, attachment factors, trace elements, growth factors, and hormones, which aid in the growth of the cells. Although FBS is the most used serum for cell culture, other animal sera are available as lower-cost alternatives for cell culture and serological applications.
Benefits of Gibco animal serum
Gibco non-FBS animal sera are sourced from New Zealand (except for rabbit), which is recognized as the world’s premier source of animal sera and protein products. Because of the country’s protected environment, strict agricultural regulations, and high standards of husbandry and care, animals are spared many significant diseases that affect herds elsewhere. New Zealand is considered free from all OIE diseases .
Thermo Fisher Scientific offers more than 60 years of experience in serum manufacturing. We possess the sourcing capabilities, technology, manufacturing know-how, and the widest range of options. Collaborate with Thermo Fisher scientists and engineers to obtain solutions that are best for your needs.
Explore other animal sera products
Choose from a range of viable FBS alternatives, formulated to support cell culture in your lab.
| Country of origin | Cell attachment and proliferation tested in | Applications | |
|---|---|---|---|
Horse serum | New Zealand | Sp2/O-Ag14 (murine myeloma) cells | Cell culture (e.g., cell differentiation, neural cell growth), IHC, serology assays |
Newborn calf/bovine calf/adult bovine serum | New Zealand | Vero cells | Cell culture, IHC, serology assays |
Rabbit serum | US | Sp2/O-Ag14 (murine myeloma) cells | Cell culture, IHC, serology assays |
Chicken serum | New Zealand | 3 adherent cell lines | Cell culture, IHC, serology assays |
Goat serum | New Zealand | 3 adherent cell lines | Cell culture, IHC, serology assays |
Sheep/lamb serum | New Zealand | 3 adherent cell lines | Cell culture, IHC, serology assays |
Pig/porcine serum | New Zealand | 3 adherent cell lines | Cell culture (e.g., epithelial cell growth), IHC, serology assays |
Chicken serum
What is chicken serum?
Chicken serum is collected in New Zealand from healthy birds slaughtered for human consumption and can be used as an FBS alternative in some cell culture applications.
What is chicken serum used for?
Chicken serum can be used as an FBS alternative for the support of cells in culture and contains factors such as proteins, hormones, and nutrients important for cell growth. A specific use for chicken serum is in radioisotope dilution assay of serum vitamin B12 [1].
Chicken serum is also available in custom formats; call your local representative for more details.
Order chicken serum
Publications
Goat serum
What is goat serum?
Goat serum, a viable FBS alternative in certain applications, is donor-herd collected, processed, and manufactured in New Zealand.
What is goat serum used for?
Goat serum can be used as a cell culture supplement, providing nutrients, hormones, and enzymes important to cell growth. In addition, Thermo Fisher Scientific offers 10% normal goat serum, which can be used as a blocking solution for immunohistochemical studies.
There are also several common and more specific uses for goat serum:
- Suitable replacement for FBS on most cell lines and primary cultures for biomedical research (virus isolation and identification, virological studies, etc.) [1]
- Used as an effective NBCS replacement for the culture of fish cells [2]
- Could be successfully used in place of fetal bovine serum in the growth medium for long-term in vitro propagation of T. annulata schizonts [3]
Goat serum is also available in custom formats; call your local representative for more details.
Order goat serum
Publications
- Paranjape S. (2004) Goat serum: an alternative to fetal bovine serum in biomedical research. Indian J Exp Biol 42(1):26–35.
- Nanda PK, Swain P, Nayak SK, et al. (2009) Goat serum as an alternative to establish cell culture from Indian major carp, Cirrhinus mrigala. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 45(3–4):148–151.
- Sharma G, Sharma RD, Nichani AK. (1998) Successful long-term in vitro cultivation of Theileria annulata schizonts in media supplemented with homologous and heterologous sera. Vet Parasitol 79(2):135–141.
Sheep serum
What is sheep serum?
Sheep serum, which is collected, processed, and manufactured in New Zealand, can be used as an alternative to FBS in certain cell culture applications.
What is sheep serum used for?
As a cell culture supplement, sheep serum can provide an array of nutrients, proteins, and other factors necessary for cell growth and viability. In addition, a specific suggested use for sheep serum is in antibody production [1].
Sheep serum is also available in custom formats; call your local representative for more details.
Order sheep serum
Publications
Porcine serum (pig serum)
What is porcine serum?
Porcine serum, collected from animals in New Zealand that are typically less than one year of age, can serve as a viable alternative to FBS for certain cell culture applications.
What is porcine serum used for?
As a cell culture media supplement, porcine serum can provide nutrients, proteins, and other factors necessary for supporting cell growth and proliferation.
In addition, porcine serum has been used in several specific applications:
- Used with hormones in the growth of rat mammary tumor epithelial cells [1]
- Required for the growth of rat cervical epithelial cells [2]
- Satisfactory and consistent use in chromosome studies, indicating potential applications for lymphocyte culture work [3]
Thermo Fisher Scientific also offers normal porcine serum, which can be used as a blocking solution for immunohistochemical studies.
Order porcine serum
Publications
- Sinha DK, Pazik JE. (1986) Role of serum and hormones during the growth and development of rat mammary tumor epithelial cells in collagen gel culture. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 22(9):519–524.
- Wright TC Jr, Nahabedian C. (1986) Growth requirements and characterization of rat cervical epithelial cells in culture. J Cell Physiol 126(1):10–20.
- Victor R, Rao P, Vasudev P, et al. (2002) Use of Porcine Serum in Lymphocyte Culture. Int J Hum Genet 2(4):273–274.
Resources
Fetal Bovine Serum Basics
Learn the basics of FBS for cell culture, including information on the FBS uses, components, and the market dynamics driving this industry.
Cell Culture Basics
Learn the fundamentals of cell culture for achieving consistent results, including laboratory setup, safety, and aseptic techniques.
Gibco iMatch Sera Lot Matching Tool
Provide your previous Gibco FBS lot number or answer a few questions to find your ideal serum match.
Related products
Support
Find your regional sales representative
Connect with a regional FBS sales representative.
Cell Culture & Transfection Support Center
Find technical support recommendations for your cell culture and transfection workflows, including tips for experimental setup and in-depth troubleshooting help.
Need technical support?
Contact our expert team for technical and application support of laboratory products.
For Research Use or Further Manufacturing Use only. Serum and blood proteins are not for direct administration into humans or animals.