Gemini Bio-Products stores product for customers free of
additional charge for up to one year, provided a Purchase Order
has been received. After one year, customers are billed a $3 per
500 mL bottle, $1 per 100 mL bottle fee for each additional month
that their product is stored.
Gemini Bio-Products recognizes the critical importance of
operating under environmentally sound and sustainable business
practices for the ecological health of our unique planet.
We do not add this antibiotic to serum during manufacturing.
Tetracycline is an antibiotic which is often used to treat
animals prior to slaughter. Although there should be sufficient
time between the last dose of antibiotic and slaughter for the
drug to metabolize, this is not always the case and the serum may
contain residual amounts of tetracycline.
Gemini tests each lot of fetal bovine serum and Fetalplex™ for
tetracycline and we report these results on the product’s
respective Certificate of Analysis.
All GemCell™ products are strictly of US origin. Gemini
Bio-Products procures its serum from USDA-approved and -inspected
slaughter houses, both inside and outside the continental United
States. Gemini Bio-Products will supply a Certificate of Origin
for any sera product upon request.
Newborn Calf Serum is derived from bovine calves that are less
than ten days old, but are more than one day old. These calves
have suckled their mothers and the serum is not colostrum-free.
Bovine Calf Serum is derived from bovine calves that are more
than ten days, but less than one year old.
Although it is impossible to claim stability data for every
possible application and use for human serum AB, we
conservatively estimate that if this product is stored properly
at -20ºC, it can be used for 5 years from the date of manufacture
without any decrease in product performance. Storage at any other
temperature may affect results.
Gemini Bio-Products goes to great lengths to ensure that our
human sera are the most consistent products commercially
available. Although our human serum is manufactured using raw
material from congruous donor pools and according to time-tested
protocols, it is possible to perceive differences in the physical
appearance of this product from lot-to-lot. This phenomenon can
be largely attributed to variation in diet amongst human beings
(particularly with respect to dietary fats).
Due to a diet higher in fats and oils, human serum typically
contains higher levels of lipids than serum from other sources.
Even after sterile filtration through 0.1mm filters, particles
remain suspended in solution that can aggregate and precipitate
as a result of subsequent freezing, thawing and/or
heat-inactivation. It is for this reason that we suggest
minimizing such temperature changes. The presence of particulate
matter does not indicate contamination of any sort, and does not
negatively impact the serum’s performance.
Products can be reserved at the time samples are sent out by
requesting the reserve quantity at the time of sampling.
Customers should request the reserve quantity through their sales
representative or by calling Gemini’s Customer Service Team at
1-800-543-6464.
Knowing your quote number will speed the order process as your
customer ID, ship-to address, and other pertinent information are
included in the quote.
Cell culture contamination has been a major concern for
researchers since cell culture was introduced in the early
1900’s. One particular villain to the field of in vitro research
has been endotoxin. But what do we really know about it?
You may be familiar with the terms “traceability” and “origin” in
reference to fetal bovine serum (FBS), but how do these topics
really impact the use of serum in cell culture? “Origin” is
simply the country in which the raw material was collected.
“Traceability” refers to the documentation roadmap that connects
serum origin to final manufacturing and distribution.
Albumin is one of the most extensively used proteins in biological research today. It acts as a powerful antioxidant in cell culture. It binds, sequesters and stabilizes a variety of molecular species which are often unstable. This acidic, soluble protein has both high- affinity and secondary binding sites, optimizing the roles that fatty acids, metals, disulfides, and other molecules play in cellular metabolism.
With all of the choices for bovine serum albumin (BSA) available, you may be wondering what the differences are and which product is right for your application.
