Lonza's versatile media kits

Recent peer-reviewed publications have highlighted the versatility of Lonza’s specialised BulletKit Growth and Differentiation Media. The papers show that the media kits are proving useful for researchers looking to transition from established cell lines to primary cell culture or when co-culturing different cell types, mostly due to their convenience, adaptability and ease of use.

Researchers often work with established cell lines before transitioning to primary cells, as the former are usually easier to culture in the first instance and can serve as an effective stepping stone. However, the subsequent switch to primary cells can be challenging and time-consuming, as the new cells typically require different growth media or the re-optimisation of culture conditions. A better solution would be to use the same media for both cell sources, as this would reduce variability between experiments and simplify the shift from one cell type to another.

Lonza’s BulletKit Media Kits, such as MEGM Media and BEGM Media, are said to fill this need. They are supplied in an optimised kit format and have been used to support a wide range of cell types, such as immortalised mammary epithelial cells (MCF10A) and home-grown primary bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Many peer-reviewed research articles have referenced BulletKit Media, demonstrating the adaptability of the kits.

The versatility of the media is also important for researchers needing to co-culture different cell types. As an example, a recent publication by Masashi Furukawa and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh illustrates how Lonza’s SAGM and BEGM BulletKit Media, normally recommended for small and large airway epithelial cells, can also be successfully used to culture breast cancer cell lines. This enabled the team to develop co-culture models to understand the effects of different factors on breast cancer cell lines, while grown in the presence of normal lung epithelial cells.

“Customers frequently ask us which media they should use when culturing their cells, especially when moving from 2D to 3D systems … working with co-cultures or when moving from cell lines to primary cells,” said Lubna Hussain, senior product manager for Lonza Bioscience Research Solutions. “The large and expanding repository of published research that has leveraged our BulletKit Media shows that our kits are an excellent choice for these applications. Our ongoing mission is to make cell culture easier, faster and simpler for our customers, which is something BulletKit Media can help to do.”