Product Description
LIGHT LABS is proud to offer Mediatech MEM — Minimum Essential Medium with Earle's Salts and L-Glutamine (Cat # 10-010-CV) — one of the most historically significant and widely validated cell culture media formulations ever developed, providing the classic Minimum Essential Medium in the Earle's balanced salt solution format with L-glutamine for routine maintenance and propagation of adherent mammalian cells grown in monolayer. MEM is the direct predecessor of DMEM — developed by Harry Eagle in the early 1960s from his earlier Basal Medium Eagle (BME), incorporating higher concentrations of amino acids to more closely approximate the protein composition of mammalian cells, enabling reliable propagation of a wider variety of normal and transformed cell types.
The 10-010-CV formulation uses Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) as the base — distinguished from Hanks' balanced salt solution-based MEM (MEM with Hanks' salts, Cat # 10-009-CV) by its higher sodium bicarbonate concentration (2.2 g/L vs. 0.35 g/L in HBSS-based MEM), making it specifically optimized for use in a CO₂ incubator at 5–10% CO₂. The higher bicarbonate of Earle's salts provides robust pH control in the CO₂ incubator environment, making the 10-010-CV the preferred MEM format for standard CO₂ incubator-based cell culture. When supplemented with serum (typically 5–20% FBS), MEM with Earle's salts supports the cultivation of a wide variety of cells grown in monolayers including fibroblasts, HeLa cells, primary human, mouse, and chicken cells, epithelial cells, and many other adherent mammalian cell types.
Every production lot undergoes comprehensive quality testing — growth promotion and cytotoxicity analysis, endotoxin testing (<0.25 EU/mL), sterility testing, and mycoplasma testing — with a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis available. Manufactured under ISO 13485 certified quality management system. LIGHT LABS is your trusted source for Mediatech cell culture media and reagents.
KEY FEATURES
- MEM with Earle's salts and L-glutamine — the classic CO₂ incubator-optimized MEM formulation; higher sodium bicarbonate (2.2 g/L) for robust pH control at 5–10% CO₂
- L-glutamine included — essential energy source and nitrogen donor for mammalian cell growth
- Modified with higher amino acid concentrations vs. BME — approximates protein composition of mammalian cells more closely; supports wider cell type range
- Cell types supported: fibroblasts, HeLa cells, primary human cells, mouse cells, chicken cells, epithelial cells, and wide variety of adherent mammalian cell types grown in monolayer
- Use with serum supplementation (5–20% FBS) for optimal cell culture performance
- Earle's salts base — optimized for CO₂ incubator use at 5–10% CO₂; higher bicarbonate than Hanks' salt-based MEM (10-009-CV)
- Comprehensive lot-specific quality control — growth promotion, cytotoxicity, endotoxin (<0.25 EU/mL), sterility, and mycoplasma testing on every lot
- Complete Certificate of Analysis available for each production lot
- Manufactured under ISO 13485 certified quality management system
- Liquid, sterile, ready-to-use format
- 18-month shelf life
- Storage: 2°C to 8°C
- 500 mL bottles; 6 bottles per case
- Fisher Scientific Catalog No. MT10010CV
SPECIFICATIONS
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Catalog Number | 10-010-CV |
| Fisher Scientific Catalog No. | MT10010CV |
| Brand | Mediatech |
| Product Name | MEM (Minimum Essential Medium) |
| Salt Base | Earle's Balanced Salt Solution |
| L-Glutamine | Yes — included |
| Sodium Bicarbonate | Yes — 2.2 g/L (CO₂ incubator optimized) |
| Non-Essential Amino Acids | No — not included (add separately as required) |
| Sodium Pyruvate | No — not included |
| Format | Liquid, sterile, ready-to-use |
| CO₂ Requirement | 5–10% CO₂ (Earle's salts-based) |
| Endotoxin Level | <0.25 EU/mL (LAL chromogenic assay) |
| Sterility Testing | Yes — each lot tested |
| Mycoplasma Testing | Yes — each lot tested |
| Quality System | ISO 13485 certified |
| Certificate of Analysis | Yes — lot-specific CoA available |
| Shelf Life | 18 months |
| Volume | 500 mL per bottle |
| Packaging | 6 bottles per case |
| Storage Temperature | 2°C to 8°C |
MEM vs. DMEM — KEY DIFFERENCES
| Feature | MEM (10-010-CV) | DMEM (10-013-CV) |
|---|---|---|
| Developed From | Basal Medium Eagle (BME) | MEM (4x amino acids/vitamins) |
| Amino Acid Concentration | Standard | 4x MEM concentrations |
| Glucose | 1.0 g/L | 4.5 g/L (high glucose) |
| Salt Base | Earle's salts | No specific salt base |
| Best Cell Types | Fibroblasts, HeLa, primary cells, adherent monolayer | Wide range of mammalian cells; rapidly dividing |
| NEAA | Not included; add separately | Not included |
| Historical Use | Older protocols; classic adherent cell culture | Most common modern mammalian cell culture |
MEM WITH EARLE'S SALTS vs. MEM WITH HANKS' SALTS
| Feature | Earle's Salts (10-010-CV) | Hanks' Salts (10-009-CV) |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium Bicarbonate | 2.2 g/L (high) | 0.35 g/L (low) |
| CO₂ Requirement | 5–10% CO₂ incubator | Atmospheric CO₂ (non-CO₂ incubator) |
| pH Stability | CO₂-dependent | CO₂-independent |
| Best For | Standard CO₂ incubator cell culture | Non-CO₂ incubator; bench manipulations |
APPLICATIONS
- Routine monolayer culture of fibroblasts with serum supplementation
- HeLa cell culture and propagation
- Primary human, mouse, and chicken cell culture
- Epithelial cell culture in adherent monolayer format
- Cell culture protocols specifying MEM with Earle's salts (EMEM)
- Virus propagation and plaque assays in MEM-based overlay systems
- Transfection of adherent cells in MEM-based systems
- Any adherent mammalian cell culture application requiring the classic MEM with Earle's salts and L-glutamine formulation
ORDERING INFORMATION — MEDIATECH MEM (MINIMUM ESSENTIAL MEDIUM)
| Cat # | Description | Salt Base | L-Gln | Volume | Pkg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-010-CV | MEM with Earle's Salts, L-Glutamine | Earle's (CO₂ incubator) | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 10-009-CV | MEM with Hanks' Salts, L-Glutamine | Hanks' (non-CO₂) | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 15-010-CV | MEM with Earle's Salts, No L-Glutamine | Earle's (CO₂ incubator) | No | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 10-013-CV | DMEM, High Glucose (4.5 g/L), L-Glutamine, Sodium Pyruvate | — | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 10-016-CV | IMDM, L-Glutamine, 25 mM HEPES | — | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 10-040-CV | RPMI 1640, L-Glutamine | — | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
| 10-090-CV | DMEM/Ham's F-12 50/50 Mix, L-Glutamine, No HEPES | — | Yes | 500 mL | 6/case |
