Q. Is Human Serum Albumin (HSA) azide-free?
A. Yes it is. Azide is commonly used as a preservative for diagnostic grade albumins.
Q. Is HSA a blood-based product?
A. Yes. HSA consists of human serum albumin from therapeutic-grade source material (100mg/mL) in a saline solution.
Q. What kind of oil do you produce?
A. We offer both a light and heavy mineral oil intended for use as an overlay during embryo culture to prevent evaporation, changes in osmolality, and pH shifts.
Q. We occasionally observe small particles under the microscope when culturing with protein supplemented media. What is the source of this particulate matter?
A. Protein supplements contain human source material which can develop particulate matter during storage. When using protein-supplemented media, it is not uncommon to have particles form over time as a result of multiple warming and cooling cycles during their shelf life. This type of particulate matter does not adversely affect the performance of the media or embryo development.
Q. What pH do you recommend when using your culture media?
A. These are the recommended pH ranges for media with protein during use in a CO2 incubator. Typically the addition of protein will lower the pH by 0.02 – 0.05 units, but it should be within the ranges indicated below at 37C˚ and in CO2.
