MEM, autoclavable, no glutamine, powder (Gibco™)

Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) is one of the most commonly used of all cell culture media. MEM can be used with a variety of suspension and adherent mammalian cells, including HeLa, BHK-21, 293, HEP-2, HT-1080, MCF-7, fibroblasts, and primary rat astrocytes. We offer a variety of Gibco MEM modifications for a range of cell culture applications. Find the right formulation using the media selector tool.

The complete formulation is available.

Gibco MEM, developed by Harry Eagle, was based on his earlier formulation of Basal Medium Eagle (BME). Many other modifications of MEM followed, including Glasgow’s MEM, MEM α, DMEM, and Temin’s Modification. To allow autoclaving this medium, choline chloride is substituted with choline bitartrate, phenol red is reduced, and succinic acid is added to prevent precipitation at low pH. This MEM formulation contains Earle’s salts for use in a CO₂ incubator. This product is made with Earle’s salts.

MEM contains no proteins, lipids, or growth factors. Therefore, MEM requires supplementation, commonly with 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS). MEM uses a sodium bicarbonate buffer system (2.2 g/L) and therefore requires a 5–10% CO₂ environment to maintain physiological pH.

This autoclavable form of Gibco™ cell culture medium requires pH adjustment to 4.1–4.2 before autoclaving, following by sodium bicarbonate and L-glutamine supplementation and final pH adjustment to 7.2–7.4 (see protocol for details).