Fetal bovine serum (FBS), also known as fetal calf serum, offers essential nutrients and growth factors for the maintenance and growth of cultured cells.Cell-based applications are an integral part of basic research, biochemical studies, vaccine development, and drug discovery to name a few. FBS is the most used serum in cell-based applications as it provides the most robust culture system for the widest range of cell types.
Since 1962, Gibco FBS products have been a global market leader. Through Thermo Fisher Scientific’s unwavering commitment to quality, scientists using Gibco FBS have been provided with consistent reliability, service, value, and innovation. Discover the performance differences that Gibco Fetal Bovine Serum can deliver for your research and production.
Find the Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) solution for your application
We provide a simplified three-tiered offering—Gibco Value FBS, Premium FBS, and Premium Plus FBS—where each category is clearly delineated by relevant performance markers and testing levels to help ensure you can confidently select the right serum for your research.
Value FBS
Designed for consistent growth for robust cell lines used within all standard cell culture research applications. Our Value FBS products offer excellent value with up to 30 quality specification tests.
Order Value FBS
Order HI Value FBS
Premium FBS
Offers consistent growth for a broad range of cells. Our most popular FBS product providing high quality and exceptional value with up to 60 quality specification tests.
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Order HI Premium FBS
Premium Plus FBS
Offers consistent growth for sensitive cells. Our highest quality FBS with up to 70 quality specification tests, including lowest levels of endotoxin and hemoglobin release specifications.
Order Premium Plus FBS
Order HI Premium Plus FBS
Specialty FBS
Designed for specific experimental needs and sensitive cell culture, including stem cell research, cancer research, reporter assays, immunoassays, antibodies, and more.
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Performance based on science, not geography
Specifications, not origin, help drive consistent performance. We commissioned an independent research group to survey more than 500 researchers around the globe. This is what we learned:
- Only 7% of FBS users believe that country of origin is the most important indicator of FBS quality.
- Almost 80% said they would purchase from categories that were clearly delineated by quality indicators (i.e., endotoxin, hemoglobin, growth performance, virus testing, etc.) that matter to their research.
Based on these findings, we transformed our Gibco FBS portfolio into categories focused on quality indicators rather than origin; Value FBS, Premium FBS, and Premium Plus FBS. Now you can easily select the best sera for your needs based on how they perform, not where they came from. This also enables us to minimize supply disruption since there is less reliance on origin.
The benefits of our performance-based categories
- Dependablesupply—more supply through origin flexibility assists in minimizing supply disruption
- Performance consistency—more supply means more customer choice and more lots with the specifications they desire
- Product continuity—remove the hassle of updating protocols, which can be based on specifications, the true performance driver, and not part numbers
Explore our Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) quality control release criteria for Value FBS, Premium FBS, and Premium Plus FBS
| Quality profile | Value FBS | Premium FBS | Premium Plus FBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endotoxin | ≤20 EU/mL | ≤10 EU/mL | ≤5 EU/mL |
| Haemoglobin/hemoglobin | ≤25 mg/dL | ≤25 mg/dL | ≤20 mg/dL |
| Sterility: bacterial and fungal testing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Osmolality | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| pH | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mycoplasma: supplemental testing (H-stain) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mycoplasma | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Country of origin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Oritain™ testing (origin confirmation) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Biochemical and hormonal profile | |||
| Biochemical: Alkaline phosphatase, ALT, AST, bicarbonate, bilirubin (total), BUN, BUN/creatinine ratio, calcium, chloride, cholesterol, creatinine, GGPT, glucose, HDL, iron, iron saturation, LDH, LDL, phosphorous (inorganic), potassium, sodium, TIBC, triglycerides (TG), uric acid | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hormonal: Estradiol, insulin, progesterone, testosterone, thyroxine (T4) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virus testing | |||
| Serology: BVDV serum neutralization titer (Ab) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Serology: Anti-BVDV antibody test (EMA lots only) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virus (9CFR): Bluetongue Virus, Bovine Adenovirus, Bovine Parvovirus, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Rabies Virus, Reo Virus Cytopathogenic Agents - Including Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1/IBR) Haemadsorbing Agents - Including Bovine Parainfluenza Virus 3 (PI-3) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virus (EMA): Bluetongue Virus, Bovine Adenovirus, Bovine Parvovirus, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Rabies Virus, Reo Virus Cytopathogenic Agents- Including Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1/IBR) Haemadsorbing Agents- Including Bovine Parainfluenza Virus 3 (PI-3) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| USDA safety testing: Bluetongue virus (Mexican and Australian origin) | ✓ (Mexican only) | ✓ | ✓ (Australian only) |
| USDA safety testing: Akabane virus (Australian only) | – | ✓ | ✓ (Australian only) |
| Protein electrophoresis | |||
| Identification:Electrophoretic profile | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Identification: Bovine gamma globulin (≤500 mg/L) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Protein: Albumin, alpha globulin, beta globulin, total protein | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Performance testing | |||
| Relative growth promotion (RGP), relative cloning efficiency (RCE), relative plating efficiency (RPE) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Documentation | |||
| Certificate of Suitability (TSE CEP) | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Important to note that our FBS is sourced from BSE-negligible countries
Gibco Fetal Bovine Serum cross-reference tool
The Gibco Fetal Bovine Serum cross reference tool can be used to find a direct
replacement for other serum suppliers.
Find your replacement
Discover heat-inactivated and One Shot fetal bovine serum (FBS)
Heat-inactivated FBS
Choose heat-inactivated FBS for immunological applications requiring the inactivation of complement proteins.
Explore heat-inactivated FBS
One Shot FBS
Choose One Shot FBS in convenient 50 mL bottles to end aliquoting and help minimize contamination risk.
Explore One Shot FBS
Video: What should you consider when selecting FBS for cell culture?
Learn what scientists consider some of the most important factors in selecting fetal bovine serum for mammalian cell culture.
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