Animal Sera
Animal sera from 16 species for routine cell culture, veterinary research, antibody production and specialist biological applications. Cost-effective alternatives to FBS for standard cell line maintenance. USA, New Zealand and Australian origin. All processed in Germany with full documentation.
Buy animal sera from EU stock
Request a quote – EU stock, batch documentation, lot reservation up to 36 months.
- Newborn Calf Serum (NCS) – US origin
- Newborn Calf Serum (NCS) – Australian origin
- Calf Serum (CS) – US origin
- Calf Serum (CS) – Australian origin
- Horse Serum – EU origin
- Donor Horse Serum (DHS)
- Normal Goat Serum (NGS)
- Normal Donkey Serum
- Normal Rabbit Serum (NRS)
- Guinea Pig Serum – complement source
- Normal Mouse Serum
- Rat Serum
- All animal sera – 16 species
Normal Serum for Blocking — Immunofluorescence, IHC & ELISA
A normal serum comes from non-immunised animals. In the blocking buffer it occupies non-specific binding sites, so the secondary antibody binds only where the primary antibody is. The rule of thumb: use normal serum from the species in which your secondary antibody was raised — for a goat anti-rabbit antibody, that is Normal Goat Serum.
| Normal serum | Matches secondary antibodies raised in | Pack sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Goat Serum (NGS) | Goat (e.g. goat anti-mouse, goat anti-rabbit) | 100 mL · 500 mL |
| Normal Donkey Serum | Donkey — the standard for multiplex staining | 100 mL · 500 mL |
| Normal Sheep Serum (NSS) | Sheep | 100 mL · 500 mL |
| Normal Rabbit Serum (NRS) | Rabbit | 50 mL · 100 mL |
| Normal Horse Serum | Horse (e.g. horse anti-mouse) | 100 mL · 500 mL |
| Normal Chicken Serum | Chicken | 100 mL · 500 mL |
| Normal Mouse Serum (NMS) | Mouse; also for Fc receptor blocking in flow cytometry | 10 mL · 50 mL |
| Normal Rat Serum | Rat; also as a matrix for assays with rat samples | 10 mL · 50 mL |
Typical use: 5–10 % (v/v) normal serum in PBS or TBS, often with 0.1–0.3 % Triton X-100 for permeabilised samples. Incubate for 30–60 minutes at room temperature before adding the primary antibody. For multiplex staining with secondary antibodies from the same host — usually donkey — a single normal serum is enough.
Guinea pig complement: Guinea pig serum as a complement source for the complement fixation test (CFT) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity or bactericidal assays. Complement is heat-labile: store frozen, thaw on ice and do not heat-inactivate.
Which normal serum do I need for blocking?
Serum from the host species of your secondary antibody. With a donkey anti-rabbit antibody, use Normal Donkey Serum; with goat anti-mouse, Normal Goat Serum. This prevents the secondary antibodies from binding to the blocking serum itself.
Can I use BSA instead of normal serum?
Yes — BSA is a common, lower-cost alternative. Where background is high, for example in tissue sections rich in Fc receptors, normal serum often blocks more reliably. We supply both: bovine serum albumin (BSA).
Does normal serum need to be heat-inactivated?
Not for blocking in immunostaining. Guinea pig serum used as a complement source must never be heat-inactivated, as this destroys complement activity.
All Animal Sera — 16 Species
Newborn Calf Serum (NCS)
Calves ≤10 days old. Low IgG, high growth factors. USA, NZ, Australian origin.
Calf Serum (BCS)
Calves 14 days – 6 months. Vaccine production, routine cell lines. USA, NZ, Australian origin.
Horse Serum
For neural cell culture, myoblast differentiation and specialist research applications requiring equine serum.
Donor Horse Serum (DHS)
Collected from adult donor horses. For tissue culture applications requiring horse serum with defined protein composition.
Mouse Serum
Pooled adult mouse serum for immunological research, ELISA controls and mouse-specific assay development.
Rat Serum
Pooled adult rat serum for pharmacokinetic studies, toxicology and rat-specific immunoassay applications.
Rabbit Serum
Pooled rabbit serum. For cell culture supplement and rabbit antibody production support applications.
Guinea Pig Serum
For complement source applications and guinea pig-specific research.
Hamster Serum
Pooled hamster serum for CHO cell culture support and hamster-specific research.
Sheep Serum
Pooled sheep serum for complement studies and ovine research applications.
Goat Serum
Blocking agent for assays using goat secondary antibodies. Also for goat-specific research.
Chicken Serum
For avian research, vaccine production and applications requiring chicken serum matrix.
Pig Serum
Porcine serum for veterinary research and xenograft-related cell culture applications.
Canine (Dog) Serum
For veterinary diagnostics, canine immunology and dog-specific assay development.
Lamb Serum
Pooled lamb serum for specialist research and veterinary applications.
Donkey Serum
For blocking steps in assays using donkey secondary antibodies and equine research.
Selection Guide
| Species | Key Application | Origin | vs. FBS Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCS (Newborn Calf) | Routine cell culture, hybridoma, vaccine production | USA, NZ, AUS | 30–50% lower |
| Calf Serum (BCS) | Routine cell lines, vaccine manufacturing | USA, NZ, AUS | 40–60% lower |
| Horse Serum | Neural cell culture, myoblast differentiation | On request | Similar to FBS |
| Donor Horse Serum | Tissue culture, defined equine matrix | On request | Similar to FBS |
| Mouse Serum | ELISA controls, mouse immunology research | On request | Species-specific |
| Rabbit Serum | Cell culture supplement, antibody production | On request | Species-specific |
| Guinea Pig Serum | Complement source, immunology | On request | Species-specific |
| Goat Serum | Blocking (goat secondary antibodies) | On request | Species-specific |
Request Animal Sera — Quote or Sample
Free test samples. No minimum order. Full documentation per lot. 48-hour quote turnaround.
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