Quick Definition
What is Dialyzed FBS?: Dialyzed FBS is fetal bovine serum dialysed against PBS using a 10–14 kDa MWCO membrane, removing small molecules including amino acids, glucose, nucleotides, vitamins, lipids and small hormones while retaining large proteins such as albumin, growth factors and IgG.
Primary applications for dialyzed FBS
Stable isotope labeling (SILAC, ¹³C metabolic flux): Standard FBS contains unlabeled amino acids that dilute isotope incorporation when ¹³C-amino acids are added. Dialyzed FBS removes these background amino acids, allowing efficient isotope incorporation from defined sources — essential for SILAC proteomics and ¹³C-MFA metabolic flux analysis.
Metabolomics: In LC-MS metabolomics, serum metabolites in the medium create high background masking intracellular metabolite profiles. Dialyzed FBS provides albumin and growth factor support while minimising small-molecule background.
Key Facts
- Dialysis removes molecules <10–14 kDa: amino acids, glucose, nucleotides, vitamins, small lipids, tetracyclines
- Retains molecules >10–14 kDa: albumin (~66 kDa), IgG (~150 kDa), growth factors, transferrin (~79 kDa)
- Used in isotope labeling studies (¹³C, ¹⁵N, ²H, ¹⁴C) — removes unlabeled nutrients that dilute isotope incorporation
- Used in metabolomics — removes serum metabolites that mask intracellular metabolite profiles by LC-MS
- Used in serum deprivation studies — removes glucose and amino acids to create defined nutrient-deprived conditions
- Growth promoting activity partially maintained — albumin and growth factors retained; amino acid depletion requires supplementation
Further Reading
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