MEM-α Medium, no Nucleosides
MEM-α is a synthetic cell culture medium developed through modifications of Eagle's Basal Medium (BME), which Harry Eagle formulated in the 1950s. It is now among the most widely used media for mammalian cell culture.
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Storage :
2–8°C, 1 year. Protect from light.
- Manual (2286KB)
- COA
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Description & Advantages
MEM-α is a synthetic cell culture medium developed through modifications of Eagle's Basal Medium (BME), which Harry Eagle formulated in the 1950s. It is now among the most widely used media for mammalian cell culture. In 1971, Stanners and colleagues further modified MEM by increasing the range and concentrations of amino acids and adding vitamins, creating MEM-α (alpha modification). Compared with standard MEM, MEM-α contains additional components, including non-essential amino acids, sodium pyruvate, lipoic acid, vitamin B12, biotin, and ascorbic acid. Its broader nutrient profile supports a wider range of cells, including both suspension and adherent cells, making it a nutrient-enriched formulation in the MEM family.
MCE MEM-α Medium, no Nucleosides is a modified formulation that contains neither ribonucleosides nor deoxyribonucleosides. It is designed as a basal medium for transfection-based selection of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-deficient cell lines, such as CHO-DG44, and can also be used for routine culture of various mammalian cells.
| (+) | (-) |
|---|---|
| D-Glucose (1000 mg/L) | Ribonucleosides |
| L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (2 mM) | Deoxyribonucleosides |
| Phenol Red (10.0 mg/L) | |
| Sodium Pyruvate (1 mM) |
Protocols
MCE MEM-α Medium, no Nucleosides is a basal medium that does not contain proteins, lipids, or growth factors. Add appropriate supplements according to the cell type and experimental requirements. For routine culture, approximately 10% fetal bovine serum may be added. For low-serum or serum-free culture, supplements such as insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS, Cat. No.: HY-K3018) may be added as needed.
This product contains L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine rather than free L-Glutamine added directly. Free L-Glutamine gradually degrades during storage in liquid medium, producing ammonia and pyroglutamic acid, which can be harmful to cells. In contrast, L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine is stable in aqueous solution and does not spontaneously degrade. During culture, peptidases released by cells gradually hydrolyze it into L-Alanine and L-Glutamine for sustained cellular use. This can improve nutrient utilization, reduce ammonia accumulation, and extend the storage stability of the medium.
Note: This product does not contain antibiotics. Penicillin-Streptomycin Solution (Cat. No.: HY-K1006) may be added if required by the experiment. After adding serum, ITS, antibiotics, or other supplements, store the prepared medium at 2–8°C and use it within one week.
Application
In routine culture applications, MCE MEM-α Medium, no Nucleosides is suitable for the cultivation of a wide range of adherent and suspension mammalian cells, including keratinocytes, primary rat astrocytes, human melanoma cells, and fibroblasts, as well as for fastidious cell types with high nutritional requirements such as hybridomas. In selection applications, because this product contains no nucleosides or deoxynucleosides, DHFR-negative cells (e.g., CHO-DG44) are unable to survive by relying on exogenous nucleosides supplemented in the medium; only cells that have been successfully transfected with and stably express an exogenous DHFR gene can synthesize nucleotides autonomously and thereby survive and proliferate. Consequently, this product also serves as a dedicated basal medium widely used in the transfection and selection of DHFR-negative cell lines such as DG44, the construction of recombinant cell lines, and gene amplification (e.g., under MTX selection pressure).
Storage
2–8°C, 1 year.
Protect from light.
Attention
1. This product has been sterilized by filtration. Use aseptic technique to avoid contamination.
2. Because peptide hydrolysis and dipeptide utilization take time, cells cultured in this medium may have a slightly longer lag phase. This is normal.
3. When using this product for cell culture, place the cells in a temperature-controlled incubator with 5%–10% CO₂ to maintain an appropriate growth environment.
4. This product is intended for scientific research by trained personnel only. It must not be used for clinical diagnosis or treatment, or in food or pharmaceutical products.
5. For your safety and health, wear a lab coat and disposable gloves when handling this product.
Components
| Components | HY-K3040-500 mL | HY-K3040-1 L | HY-K3040-3 L | HY-K3040-5 L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM-α Medium, no Nucleosides | 500 mL | 500 mL×2 | 500 mL×6 | 500 mL×10 |
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