Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium F12 (DMEM F12)

Culture your cells with Gibco DMEM F12

 

Gibco Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium: Nutrient Mixture F12 (DMEM F12) is a widely used basal medium for supporting the growth of many different mammalian cells including MDCK, glial cells, fibroblasts, human endothelial cells, and rat fibroblasts. DMEM F12 is a 1:1 mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 media. This formulation combines DMEM's high concentrations of glucose, amino acids, and vitamins with the wide variety of components found in Ham's F12 media.

 

Gibco DMEM F12 is formulated for superior quality and delivers greater reliability, consistency, and improved control in mammalian cell culture.


DMEM F-12 composition

Along with the glucose, amino acids, and vitamins in DMEM, DMEM F12 contains additional components found in Ham’s F12 media, including zinc, putrescine, hypoxanthine, and thymidine. DMEM F12 may also include other factors such as L-glutamine and phenol red indicator. However, due to its lack of proteins, lipids, and growth factors, DMEM F12 is commonly supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS). In addition, the sodium bicarbonate buffer system used in DMEM F12 requires a 5–10% CO2 environment for maintenance of physiological pH.

 

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a variety of DMEM F12 modifications for a range of cell culture applications—view an example of a detailed DMEM/F12 formulation here. Learn about additional DMEM/F12 formulation options in the Gibco Media selection tool.


DMEM F-12 vs DMEM

DMEM alone is rich in nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins, while Ham’s F12 media contains a higher diversity of components. Therefore, DMEM F12 is a more complex media than DMEM, including many additional factors (e.g., zinc, thymidine) that are generally not found in more standard basal media formulations. 

Choose the right DMEM F12

There are several factors to consider when selecting the right Gibco DMEM F12 composition
for your cell cultures, including format, supplementation, and additives. Our interactive
media selection tool helps enable easy selection of the DMEM F12 you need.

Innovative DMEM F12 formulations

Take your cell culture to the next level with enhanced DMEM formulations. Explore the following formulations that can help improve your cell viability, serum supplementation, cold storage constraints, and clinical cell culture.

Advanced DMEM F12

Gibco Advanced DMEM F12 includes ingredients that allow you to reduce FBS supplementation by 50–90%. This both helps reduce your costs and increase consistency in your experiments with fewer lot-to-lot serum changes.
 

Catalog # Name Size Price Qty
12634010 Each
84.25
12634028 Each
726.00

BenchStable DMEM F12

Gibco BenchStable DMEM F12 is formulated for storage at room temperature, helping save valuable cold storage space while maintaining the ability to support cell proliferation and densities at levels comparable to standard DMEM F12.
 

Catalog # Name Size Price Qty
A4192001 Each
69.65

Online Exclusive

75.50 Save 5.85 (8%)
A4192002 Each
575.65

Online Exclusive

626.00 Save 50.35 (8%)

DMEM F12 with GlutaMAX supplement

Gibco DMEM F12 with GlutaMAX supplement allows you to provide your cells with a stable source of L-glutamine that does not spontaneously degrade, helping improve cell health and viability by reducing toxic ammonia buildup.
 

Catalog # Name Size Price Qty
10565042 Each
550.65

Online Exclusive

598.00 Save 47.35 (8%)
10565018 Each
69.65

Online Exclusive

75.50 Save 5.85 (8%)

CTS Knockout DMEM F12

Taking your work to the clinic? Gibco Cell Therapy Systems (CTS) Knockout DMEM F12 is a cGMP manufactured formula designed for culturing human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. 
 

Catalog # Name Size Price Qty
A1370801 Each
76.65

Online Exclusive

77.75 Save 1.10 (1%)

Customize your DMEM F12

If you require a custom DMEM F12 formulation, use our media customization services to select the DMEM F12 composition that is right for you, including custom media components, packaging, and QC testing.


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This detailed guide helps you find recycling programs and manage the end-of-use phase of your products, including Gibco bottles. Where local recycling infrastructure exists, clean, uncontaminated Gibco bottles and caps may be recyclable through conventional plastic recycling streams aligned to their resin classification. 

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Keep your cells healthy while helping to reduce your lab’s environmental impact with greener cell culture products. Gibco, Thermo Scientific Nunc, and Invitrogen products can help advance sustainability in your lab by limiting the use of hazardous chemicals, reducing waste and material consumption, and increasing energy efficiency. 


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Resources and support

Resources

Gibco Media Selection Tool
Find the right Gibco media for your application. Use this interactive tool to select media based upon culture type, components, additives, and format. 

 

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Learn best practices and fundamentals of cell culture. Topics include aseptic technique and methods for the growth and maintenance of cells in culture.

 

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Access cell culture and transfection educational resources for better experiment planning and execution.

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