A different growth factor and immunoglobulin profile than FBS

Horse serum supplements cell culture media with proteins, growth factors, hormones and other nutrients in a profile that differs meaningfully from fetal bovine serum: it tends to carry lower growth factor content but higher immunoglobulin levels than FBS. This is not a disadvantage in every context — for certain differentiation protocols, a lower growth factor concentration is precisely what is needed to shift cultured cells from a proliferative to a differentiating state.

Horse serum is also widely used as a blocking reagent in immunoassays such as IHC, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and ELISA, where its protein content helps reduce non-specific antibody binding.

For applications requiring tighter control over donor consistency — for example, bovine virus research where antibody-free serum is essential — our Donor Horse Serum (DHS) grade, sourced from closed, controlled herds, is generally the more suitable choice.