Conceptual art of a magnifying glass over a cell

Gibco sera provide researchers with transparency and confidence

Conceptual image of a cow overlayed by the outline of a fingerprint

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers Gibco sera with fetal bovine serum (FBS) fingerprinting technology that helps ensure empirical and statistical certainty over the origin and authenticity. This fingerprinting gives customers the transparency and confidence they demand from their FBS supplier. Since serum is the only ingredient in cell culture that is undefined, researchers are often convinced that when things go wrong, it’s the result of bad serum. Therefore, providing a reliable and trustworthy source of FBS is critical to helping ensure research success.

Gibco FBS fingerprinting, powered by Oritain, provides reassurance regarding FBS origin

In partnership with Oritain, Gibco FBS fingerprinting helps ensure the quality of sera obtained from low viral risk regions. This technology measures the naturally occurring elements in the environment that are absorbed by plants, animals, and soils, and then compiles those measurements into a "fingerprint". Using this fingerprint, we can link serum to its specific geographical location—providing a robust means to verify if a product is genuine. Gibco sera are the first to be offered with this technology, giving scientists reassurance regarding the origin of each lot of serum.

Elements absorbed by organisms depend on the location at which they are found, which will in turn cause natural products from these organisms to differ based on location

Figure 1. Basis for FBS fingerprinting. Naturally occurring elements are absorbed by organisms, soil, and water. Levels of these elements vary geographically, meaning the concentrations found in natural products such as FBS are different depending on the environment where a source animal or plant was produced.

Elements absorbed by organisms depend on the location at which they are found, which will in turn cause natural products from these organisms to differ based on location

Figure 2. The collection process. (1) Product samples are collected. (2) Samples are analyzed to determine fingerprints. (3) Fingerprints are stored in a database and are ready to audit against “suspect” samples.

FBS origin analysis graphs

Figure 3. Statistical representation of the chemical fingerprint of origin for Australian, Brazilian, Mexican, New Zealand, and USA derived Fetal Bovine Serum. Each 3D graph is a different perspective of the same data set. Lot # described in this report is labeled with a black star.
 

Bottle containing fetal bovine serum with text stating “Did you know what FBS is all about?”

Resources

Fetal Bovine Serum Basics
Learn the basics of FBS for cell culture, including information on the FBS uses, components, and the market dynamics driving this industry.

Cell Culture Basics
Learn the fundamentals of cell culture for achieving consistent results, including laboratory setup, safety, and aseptic techniques.

Gibco iMatch Sera Lot Matching Tool 
Provide your previous Gibco FBS lot number or answer a few questions to find your ideal serum match.

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