Growth media

Growth media, also known as culture media, provides cells in culture with all the correct nutrients. It usually includes, sugars, proteins, pH stabilisers, salts, growth factors and more. FBS is a common animal-derived component of growth media which is extracted from the blood of a cow’s foetus. Serum-free media, as well as being better for animal welfare, provides several advantages over its animal-derived counterparts such as FBS. These include improved batch-to-batch variability, consistency in performance, and reduced contamination risk. It is also more chemically defined than animal-derived media components.

The global cell culture media market is projected to grow from $6.2bn in 2023 to $13.0bn in 2028, but it is currently dominated by established players in the US and Europe, posing a significant challenge for the entrance of new companies. The growth of the sector is driven by an increasing focus on personalised medicine and stem cell research, increasing demand for serum and animal-free media, and growing demand for monoclonal antibodies and biologics (produced recombinantly using cell cultures).