Description
While the original formulation of Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) included 1000 mg/L of glucose, various glucose concentrations are now commonly used. For instance, GMP Bioscience’s DMEM contains 4.5 g/L of glucose.
In addition, DMEM is enriched with approximately four times the amount of amino acids and vitamins compared to the initial formula. This medium is particularly suitable for culturing primary cells derived from mice and chickens. It is also well-suited for supporting the growth of a wide range of both normal and transformed cell lines.
Each DMEM variant differs in its inclusion of components such as L-glutamine and sodium pyruvate. Notably, the formulation features enhanced buffering capacity due to its 3.7 g/L sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) content, and it requires supplementation with fetal bovine serum (FBS) for optimal cell growth.
Furthermore, DMEM contains no proteins, lipids, or growth factors. Therefore, it requires supplementation, commonly with 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS).
Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium Essential contains
- High glucose (4.5g/L)
- Non-essential amino acids Sodium pyruvate (0.11 g/L)
- Phenol red (0.0015g/L)
- L-glutamine (0.585 g/L)




