FBS vs FCS

[Lativa88]

Hi

Is there a difference between Fetal bovine serum and fetal calf serum?

My cells have FCS in the medium. But i used all of my FCS-reserves. so i have just FBS. Can i change from FCS to FBS without problem?


Thanks

[protolder]

Hola. I think they are the same,I´m sure, both are foetal and calf is a bovid,. Probably the difference is in the dealer name, so if you have both names of the same dealer could be different, by Im sure that this isn´t the case. Good luck

[luisillo]

As long as they foetal is fine. They should be from the same species. If you still unsure, check the brand site and send that question to the support e-mail. They should answer quickly, I've done before.

[SSI-FBS]

They are the same product as long as the vendor isn't using the abbreviation incorrectly. FBS and FCS should stand for the following:

FBS - Fetal Bovine Serum
FBS - Foetal Bovine Serum
FCS - Fetal Calf Serum
FCS - Foetal Calf Serum

These all refer to the same fetal serum from the same species (Bovine).

[Calvin Brave]

It is a combination of many things, both proteins and lipids. The main reason it is added to cells is that it contains growth factors (proteins) which help the cells grow. The exact composition is generally less defined, it can vary from batch to batch.

Thanks a lot,
Calvin

[John Peter]

FBS (bovine is a more accurate rep than calf) does not have a very different composition than the serum that could be obtained from you or me. Albumins, Igs, assorted other proteins, chemokines, growth factors, minerals, vitamins and some complex lipids. There is no exact composition for FBS - in fact, even the same catalogue # from the same manufacturer can have different compostions. To mitigate this variability, most companies make large batches, QC them well, and recommend you test your serum and stockpile a large batch. This is especially critical for some cell lines, primary cultures, dox-inductible/tet-off systems.

Thanks in advance,
John

[John Peter]

FBS and FCS are the same biological fluid. The tradtional name was FCS - Fetal Calf Serum but has been changing a FBS - Fetal Bovine Serum is more accurate. Calf can apply to a number of young animals whereas bovine can not.

Thanks and Regards,
John