Culture Media

Dr. Lee gathers the students around a set of labelled media bottles. He smiles points to a poster showing the components of cell culture and begins, ‘Media is the lifeline for our cells, providing everything they need to grow. Let’s talk about what’s inside. Any ideas?’

Weiskirchen, S., Schröder, S. K., Buhl, E. M., & Weiskirchen, R. (2023). A Beginner's Guide to Cell Culture: Practical Advice for Preventing Needless Problems. Cells, 12(5), 682. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12050682 

Elena: ‘I understand why glucose is used as it’s the main energy source, just like food for our bodies.  I guess vitamins and minerals are also needed for healthy cells as they maintain osmotic balance.’

Dr Lee nods and points to Michael who has raised his hand. 

Michael: ‘Buffers are also important as they keep the pH stable, since cells are sensitive to acidity. Also, the pH indicator is there to help detect any problems.’ 

You: ‘Dr Lee, why do we need serum?’

Dr. Lee: ‘Actually serum is not always added but it adds growth factors, hormones and attachment factors so it’s quite important. Something else that is sometimes used are antibiotics like penicillin-Streptomycin to prevent contamination’

Let’s take a closer look at the labels and think about what HeLa cells, might need most.’