Minimum Essential Medium (MEM)
Minimum Essential Medium (MEM), developed by Harry Eagle, is one of the most widely used synthetic cell culture media. Early attempts to cultivate normal mammalian fibroblasts and certain subtypes of HeLa cells revealed that they had specific nutritional requirements that could not be met by Eagle's Basal Medium (BME). Subsequent studies using these and other cells in culture indicated that additions to BME could be made to aid the growth of a wider variety of fastidious cells.
Products
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts, L-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
MEM Non-essential Amino Acid Solution (100×)
Without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts and sodium bicarbonate, without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
MEM Amino Acids (50x) solution
Without L-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With non-essential amino acids, Earle′s salts and sodium bicarbonate, without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
Alpha Modification, with sodium bicarbonate and Earl's salts, without ʟ-glutamine, ribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleosides, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
AutoMod™, with Earle′s salts, without L-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
Alpha Modification, with nucleosides and sodium bicarbonate, without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts, L-glutamine, and non-essential amino acids, without sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
MEM Vitamin Solution (100×)
sterile-filtered, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture
Glasgow Minimum Essential Medium
With sodium bicarbonate, without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts, non-essential amino acids, ʟ-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts and L-glutamine, without sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Earle′s salts, without ʟ-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture, 10x
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
HEPES modification, with Earle′s salts and sodium bicarbonate, without ʟ-glutamine, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle, with Earl's salts
StableCell™, with Earle′s salts, stable glutamine, and sodium bicarbonate, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
with Earle′s salts and non-essential amino acids, without L-glutamine, phenol red and sodium bicarbonate, Modified, powder, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
With Hanks′ salts, ʟ-glutamine and non-essential amino acids, without sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
Alpha Modification, with L-glutamine, ribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleosides, without sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
Minimum Essential Medium Eagle
Alpha Modification, with L-glutamine and sodium pyruvate, without ribonucleosides, deoxyribonucleosides and sodium bicarbonate, powder, suitable for cell culture
Nutritional Composition of MEM
MEM, which incorporates these modifications, includes higher concentrations of amino acids so it more closely approximates the protein composition of mammalian cells. Glucose is typically present in MEM at a concentration of around 4-5 mM. MEM also contains other essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals to support cell growth, but does not contain certain key components such as proteins, lipids, and growth factors. It may require supplementation with fetal bovine serum (FBS) to support cell growth and viability.
Formulation and Variants of MEM
MEM is formulated to be similar to the body's natural fluids and has been used for cultivation of a wide variety of cells grown in monolayers. Optional supplementation of MEM that incorporate either Hanks' or Earle's salts has broadened the usefulness of this medium. The formulation has been further modified by the optional elimination of calcium, which aids the growth of cells in suspension.
Applications of MEM
MEM is an important tool in many areas of scientific research, including tissue engineering, drug discovery, and the study of cell biology. It is widely used in cell culture because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to use, and it has been shown to support the growth of a variety of cell types.
MEM vs DMEM: Understanding the Differences in Cell Culture Media
MEM and DMEM are two commonly used cell culture media and the key difference between the two is the nutrient composition. DMEM, or Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, is a more complex media with increased concentrations of amino acids and vitamins that support the growth and maintenance of certain cell types. Cells will grow faster and deplete the medium slower in DMEM.
MEM is a basic cell culture media, composed of the minimum concentrations of nutrients required for the growth of the culture. While both media are widely used, it is important to choose the appropriate medium based on the specific needs of the cells that are being cultured.
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