Insectagro® Serum-Free Media
By Corning®
Insect cell culture has become an increasingly important tool in biotechnology for the production of biologicals. Their inherent growth characteristics make insect cells ideal candidates for Baculovirus Expression Vector Systems (BEVS) for the production of recombinant genes because they provide advantages over both bacterial and mammalian cultures. Due to their fast doubling times and ability to grow in suspension, insect cells have significantly impacted protein production through the use of large-scale bioreactors to produce recombinant proteins and products of medical and agricultural importance with high expression levels via BEVS.
Conventional insect culture media rely heavily on animal sera and other components such as yeast hydrolysate, lactalbumin hydrolysate, tryptose phosphate broth, and hemolymph as the nutritional, chemical, and physiological support systems. However, the production of purified recombinant proteins has created a demand for media capable of supporting growth without relying on these additives.
Serum-free growth media poses numerous advantages over the use of serum, including:
- Reduced foaming in most bioreactors
- Elimination of exogenous agents
- Easier downstream processing
- Support of high cell yields
- Potentially fewer regulatory obstacles
Insectagro DS2® was developed for the growth and maintenance of DS2 cells intended for use in heterologous protein expression. The Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cell line was originally derived from a primary culture of late-stage Drosophila melanogaster embryos in 1969. With optimal growth between 22-24°C, DS2® cells grow as a loose monolayer, are readily adaptable to growth in suspension, and require minimal adaptation to serum-free media.
Insectagro FIVE® supports the growth of High-Five® cells intended for the production of recombinant proteins using the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS). High-Five® cells (BTI-TN-5BI-4) are derived from Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper) egg cell homogenates and have been shown to be capable of expressing significantly higher levels of secreted recombinant proteins compared to other insect cells. With a doubling time of less than 24 hours at room temperature (27°C), High-Five® cells are easily grown as suspension cultures in serum-free media enabling large-scale recombinant protein production.
Insectagro Sf9® satisfies the demands of Sf9 (and Sf21) cultures. The Sf9 cell line originated at the USDA Insect Pathology Laboratory from IPLBSF-21 cell line, derived from the pupal ovarian tissue of the fall army worm. Sf9 cells are cultured in non-humidified, non-CO2 incubators at 27°C (room temperature) and display both monolayer and suspension culture qualities. With their fast doubling times of 18-22 hours, Sf9 cells are easily scaled up to large cultures using bioreactors.
| Cat.No. | Description | Pack Size | Shipped | Storage | Intended Use | EA |
| 23-13-402-CV | Insectagro DS2® Serum-Free/Protein-Free Medium, 1X without L-glutamine | 6 x 500 mL | A | R | NI | |
| 23-13-415-CV | Insectagro FIVE® Serum-Free/Protein-Free Medium, 1X with L-glutamine | 6 x 500 mL | A | R | NI | |
| 23-13-410-CV | Insectagro Sf9® Serum-Free/Protein-Free Medium, 1X with L-glutamine | 6 x 500 mL | A | R | NI |
F = -5 to -20°C
R = 2 to 8°C
A = 15 to 30°C
* = Glass
** = Flexible Media Bag
I = Sterile, IVD Product
NI = Sterile, Research Use Only, Not for IVD Use
IVD = In Vitro Diagnostic
Res = Research Use Only, Not for IVD Use