Tag: N2 supplement

Defined, serum-free media are now the standard in cell culture, consistently offering greater reproducibility than serum-based alternatives. The N2 supplement, a foundational medium in neurobiology, contains five core components that provide the necessary support for neural cells to thrive and differentiate in vitro.

Originally developed in the early 1980s, the N2 supplement revolutionized neural cell culture by providing a chemically defined, serum-free alternative to traditional fetal bovine serum. The specific components of N2 supplement are instrumental for ensuring the viability, growth, and proper differentiation of neuronal cells, minimizing experimental variability and supporting highly specialized neurobiological studies.

In neuroscience, over 90% of cells in a healthy brain are neurons or glial cells, underscoring the need for specialized media to study them effectively. This is where the N2 supplement becomes critical, as it is a chemically defined, serum-free additive designed specifically to support the growth and survival of neuronal cell types in vitro.