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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in Serum-free Monolayer Culture
Published on: May 14, 2015
Basal medium composition and serum or serum replacement concentration influences on the maintenance of murine
Muhammad A Chaudhry1, Timothy Z Vitalis, Bruce D Bowen
1Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Abstract:
The expansion of stem cell numbers while retaining their developmental properties is a bioprocess challenge. We compared the growth rates and embryoid body (EB) formation yields of R1 and EFC murine embryonic stem cells (mESC) cultured in two basal media (DMEM or DMEM:F12) with additions of 1.7-15% fetal bovine serum (FBS) or serum replacer (KOSR). Whereas the basal medium or KOSR dose did not have a significant effect on growth rate for either cell line, increasing doses of KOSR had a significant negative effect on the EB yield of EFC cells. Use of DMEM:F12 and increasing doses of FBS independently and significantly increased the growth rate for both cell lines. DMEM:F12 also significantly increased EB yields for both cell lines. The results show that use of DMEM:F12 and several-fold lower than conventional concentrations of KOSR can efficiently support maintenance of mESC and that KOSR should be dose as well as lot optimized.
