CO2 + H2O<-->HCO3-- + H+

The use of bicarbonate is an attempt to mimic the buffering system of blood, but it has at least two major drawbacks. (1) The pKa of bicarbonate is 6.1, which is far removed from the desired pH range of cell culture media (7.0-7.4). (2) Although bicarbonate is cheap, supplying a constant level of CO2 to cell cultures is definitely not, as it requires expensive CO2 incubators or fermentors.

White, homogenous, free flowing powder

Colorless to pale yellow, clear, complete

As Reported

≤1EU/ml

Dissolve 13.9g in 800-900ml of ddH2O, stirring gently until completely solubilized. Adjust pH of the medium to 0.1-0.3 pH unit below the desired level. Add additional water to bring the solution to 1L. Filter-sterilize using a 0.22 micron membrane filter. Aliquot into sterile containers. Do not autoclave. Contains heat-labile compounds that can be damaged with autoclaving.

Store powdered media at RT. Stable for 12 months after receipt. Opened bottles should be capped tightly and kept in a dark, low humidity environment. Prepared media should be kept at 4°C and used within a short period of time.