Media of the highest quality are essential for good cell culture. To prepare high quality media, PAA uses only raw materials suitable for use in cell culture. All raw materials, purified water and production procedures are carefully controlled to ensure that the cell culture media meet the precise requirements of the customers.
Raw Materials
All components (chemicals, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, etc.) used in the production of cell culture media are carefully selected and pretested to meet our strict and fully documented internal Quality Control & Quality Assurance (QC/QA) requirements. The water used to prepare liquid media is purified (AP grade). Only raw materials which meet with PAA standards are released for use in the media production department.
Manufacturing
All PAA cell culture media are manufactured under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's). Controls of important parameters such as endotoxin, pH and osmolality are performed prior to sterile filtration through 0.2µm filters. Media are then bottled on computer controlled automatic filling lines. Every batch is then placed in quarantine until QC tests are performed and pass results obtained. Only batches which pass our strict QC are released for sale.
Certificates of Analysis and full batch documentation are prepared for each batch.
Packaging
All sterile filtered liquid media are filled into PET bottles of 500ml of 100ml volumes. Customized fillings are available from 25ml to 1000ml.
For further information see “Customized Products”.
Storage and Shipping
The majority of PAA's cell culture media should be stored upon receipt at a temperature of between +2°C and +8°C. A short term storage of these media at room temperature is possible. All media are shipped at ambient temperature.
A few media should be stored at ‹= -15°C. These media will be shipped in styrofoam boxes containing dry ice.
L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid required for cell culture. L-glutamine is a thermo sensitive amino acid which can degrade in storage or during incubation. By-products of degraded L-glutamine such as NH4+ can damage cell membranes, particularly in serum free media.
To avoid this problem PAA recommends one of the two following alternatives:
1. ‑Addition of fresh L-glutamine to the medium at the time of use. PAA supplies frozen L-glutamine which can be used for this purpose.
2. ‑The choice of a medium containing a stabilized dipeptide form of L-glutamine, L-alanyl-L-glutamine which can be metabolized by many cells the same as L-glutamine.
PAA has developed a number of cell culture media containing this thermostable form of L-glutamine.