Thermo Fisher Cell Culture Media & Supplements | Serum-Free, Chemically Defined

Gibco™ media from Thermo Fisher are formulated to help you culture the cells you rely on—whether you’re maintaining a stable cell bank, driving high-density protein expression, or growing delicate neuronal and pluripotent stem cell models. As a distributor, Iright supplies a wide range of formats and sizes with dependable documentation and support.

Thermo Fisher (Gibco) Cell Culture Media Overview

Your choice of medium shapes viability, growth rate, and phenotype. This collection gathers Gibco basal media for routine culture, chemically defined and serum-free options for consistency, and specialized systems for stem cells, neurons, and viral vector or protein production—so you can match formulation to cell type and task with confidence.

What you’ll find here, at a glance: basal media (DMEM, RPMI 1640, MEM, IMDM, DMEM/F-12), stem-cell-ready options (Essential 8), neural media (Neurobasal), and expression systems (Expi293, ExpiCHO), plus essential supplements and handling guidance. Examples include DMEM (Cat. 11965092), RPMI 1640 (11875093), and DMEM/F-12 (11320033).

Choose by Application: Maintenance, Expression, Stem Cells, Vectors, Primary Cells

Start with your goal, then refine by cell line and compliance needs. Use the quick map below to jump to the right family; where relevant, pair with supplements for stability or phenotype. If you’re switching from serum to serum-free, consider a short adaptation phase and tighter process controls.

Representative references for these families: Neurobasal (21103049), Essential 8 (A1517001), Expi293 (A1435101), ExpiCHO (A2910001), FreeStyle 293 (12338018).

Core Media Families: DMEM, RPMI 1640, DMEM/F-12, MEM, IMDM, L-15

Basal media cover the day-to-day culture work. DMEM and RPMI 1640 anchor many mammalian protocols; DMEM/F-12 blends Eagle’s and Ham’s nutrients; MEM serves classic lines; IMDM supports faster growers; and L-15 is formulated for special use cases including CO₂-free workflows with alternative buffering.

Examples you can source via Iright: DMEM (11965092, 11965084), RPMI 1640 (11875093, 11875085), DMEM/F-12 (11320033), MEM (11095080), IMDM (12440053), and L-15 (11415064).

Supplements & Additives: GlutaMAX, B-27, N-2, HEPES, FBS

Supplements fine-tune stability and phenotype without overhauling your base. Stable dipeptide GlutaMAX can replace L-glutamine to reduce degradation; neural cultures typically pair Neurobasal with B-27 (± vitamin A) or N-2; HEPES helps buffer in workflows where CO₂ control or bicarbonate levels differ from standard incubator conditions.

Representative items include GlutaMAX (35050061), B-27 Supplement (50X) (17504044/17504001), and HEPES 1 M (15630080/15630106).

Formats, Storage & Handling for Gibco Media

Choose liquid for convenience or powder/bag formats for scale-up and logistics. Store as specified on the label; protect light-sensitive components and avoid repeated warm-cold cycles after opening. Match buffering to your incubator: bicarbonate systems for 5% CO₂; add HEPES when operating outside standard CO₂ or during long bench procedures.

Practical notes for smoother runs

• Verify whether your lot is serum-free, chemically defined, and/or animal-origin-free before process qualification.

• When adapting to Expi-class expression media, move suspension lines stepwise and validate transfection windows at target density.

Representative Products: DMEM, RPMI, Essential 8, Neurobasal, Expi293/ExpiCHO

Below are widely used, in-stock exemplars to anchor your bill of materials. Each item links to an established application domain so your team can standardize quickly and document easily.

Related Collections & Labware for Cell Culture

Media perform best as part of a matched toolkit. If you also need consistent surfaces, transfection reagents, or scale-up hardware, browse related ranges so your workflow stays compatible from thaw to harvest and analysis.

Related Collections:

• Cell Culture Plastics (flasks, plates)
• Transfection Reagents
• Cell Culture Supplements
• Protein Expression & Purification
• Bioreactors/Bags
• Cryopreservation & Storage

FAQs: DMEM vs RPMI, Serum-Free vs Chemically Defined, CO₂-Free (L-15) Tips

1. What’s the practical difference between DMEM and RPMI 1640?

DMEM is a broadly used Eagle-derivative suited to many adherent lines; RPMI 1640 originated for leukocyte culture and is widely used for suspension and adherent cells today. Many labs keep both on hand and choose per lineage or historical protocol.

2. When should I choose serum-free or chemically defined media?

Go serum-free to reduce lot-to-lot variability. Choose chemically defined when you need tight reproducibility and traceability (e.g., expression systems and regulated workflows). Expi293/ExpiCHO and many stem cell media are chemically defined.

3. Do neurons require a special formulation?

Yes. Neurobasal medium paired with B-27 or N-2 supplements is the common foundation for long-term neuronal cultures and iPSC-derived neuron maintenance.

4. What buffers should I consider for non-standard incubators or long bench steps?

If your setup deviates from 5% CO₂ or you need stable pH during handling, add HEPES (commonly 10–25 mM) to complement bicarbonate buffering. Verify compatibility with your exact formulation.

5. How do I adapt cells to Expi-class expression media?

Begin with suspension-adapted lines, then stepwise adapt into the target medium and confirm transfection timing at the intended cell density. Follow the product-specific guidance for best yields.

Contact & Quote — Iright Distributor Support

Tell us your cell type, application, and desired format, and we’ll prepare a quote with availability and documentation (CoA/CoO, AOF/CTS where applicable). If you’re standardizing across sites, we can help lock configurations and delivery cadence so batches land when your schedule needs them.