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ANIMAL USE SERUM Animal serum is an excellent source of nutrients for cells in culture because it contains proteins, lipids, salts, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other components necessary for growth. When stored and handled correctly, the performance characteristics of serum can be maintained for many years. Improperly storing and/or thawing serum products can decrease not only the immediate and long-term stability, but also their effectiveness. Growth promotion data demonstrate that serum maintains its growth characteristics throughout its shelf life if stored correctly. SERUM STORAGE To effectively preserve the integrity of animal serum, it should be stored frozen and protected...

The following recommendations are simply guidelines for safe laboratory practices, and they should not be interpreted as a complete code of practice. Consult your institution's safety committee and follow local rules and regulations pertaining to laboratory safety.

The regulations and recommendations for biosafety in the United States are contained in the document Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, prepared by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The document defines four ascending levels of containment, referred to as biosafety levels 1 through 4, and describes the microbiological practices, safety equipment, and facility safeguards for the corresponding level of risk associated with handling a particular agent.

USDA Tested, USDA Approved and USDA Certified all seem to imply that the USDA has somehow evaluated the product for suitability in cell culture and found it to be tested, approved and/or certified. Labels such as USDA FBS, USDA Standard or just plain USDA could imply that the serum actually comes from the USDA in some way. Most striking is the label USDA Premium, which seems to suggest that FBS is graded like beef for human consumption. None of these ideas is true.