Custom Serum-Free Media for HEK293, CHO & Mammalian Cell Lines

Serum-Free Cell Culture Media: The Foundation of Modern Biomanufacturing

The transition from serum-supplemented to serum-free cell culture media represents one of the most significant advances in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. As demand for consistent, reproducible, and regulatory-compliant bioprocesses grows, serum-free media (SFM) have become the standard for commercial production of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, and cell therapy products.

SeamlessBio develops and manufactures custom serum-free, chemically defined, and animal-origin-free cell culture media tailored to each customer's cell line, process, and application. Whether producing AAV vectors in HEK293 cells, manufacturing monoclonal antibodies in CHO cells, or expanding T-cells for CAR-T therapy, our formulation scientists create media that maximize cell performance and simplify your regulatory pathway.

Why Switch to Serum-Free Media?

Traditional cell culture relies on fetal bovine serum (FBS) as a universal supplement. However, FBS introduces significant challenges: lot-to-lot variability affects process consistency, undefined composition complicates regulatory filings, animal-derived components carry BSE/TSE risk, limited global supply creates procurement uncertainty, and complex protein mixtures complicate downstream purification.

Serum-free media address each of these challenges by replacing the undefined serum cocktail with precisely controlled combinations of recombinant proteins, synthetic lipids, trace elements, vitamins, and other defined supplements — delivering superior batch-to-batch consistency, simplified downstream processing, reduced contamination risk, and improved regulatory compliance.

Serum-Free Media for HEK293 Cells

HEK293 cells and their derivatives (HEK293T, HEK293F, HEK293FT, HEK293-EBNA) are among the most widely used mammalian expression systems for recombinant protein production, AAV manufacturing, lentiviral vector production, and adenovirus propagation. Our serum-free HEK293 media are available for both adherent and suspension culture, from transient transfection to stable cell line production at commercial bioreactor scale.

Key performance: high viable cell density (up to 8–10 × 10⁶ cells/mL in suspension), excellent transfection efficiency with PEI and lipid-based reagents, rapid adaptation from serum-containing conditions, and consistent lot-to-lot performance across production campaigns.

Serum-Free Media for CHO Cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells remain the dominant expression platform for therapeutic protein and monoclonal antibody manufacturing, accounting for approximately 70% of all recombinant therapeutic proteins worldwide. Our chemically defined CHO media are protein-free, animal-origin-free, and optimized for high-performance fed-batch and perfusion processes.

Formulations support all major CHO host cell lines including CHO-K1, CHO-S, CHO DG44, and CHO-DHFR⁻, with matched feed supplements to sustain cell viability and product quality throughout extended culture durations.

Serum-Free Media for Vaccine Production

Vaccine manufacturing presents unique requirements including support for virus propagation across multiple cell substrates (VERO, MDCK, MRC-5, BHK-21), compatibility with 2D monolayer and 3D microcarrier systems, and compliance with pharmacopoeial standards. Our vaccine production media are designed for live attenuated vaccines, inactivated virus vaccines, viral-vectored vaccines, and VLPs.

Serum-Free Media for Cell and Gene Therapy

The cell and gene therapy sector demands the highest standards of media purity. Our xeno-free and GMP-ready formulations are designed for T-cell expansion for CAR-T therapy, MSC expansion for regenerative medicine, NK cell activation, and viral vector production. For MSC expansion, Human Platelet Lysate (hPL) is available as a xeno-free serum replacement. All formulations support IND, IMPD, and BLA filings.

Custom Media Development Services (CDMO)

SeamlessBio's CDMO service creates tailored formulations matched to your cell line, process parameters, and quality requirements. Our approach combines DoE methodology, high-throughput screening, and deep cell biology expertise. The service covers consultation, base media selection, iterative optimization, performance validation, GMP manufacturing, and ongoing commercial supply.

Available Formats and Packaging

Serum-free media are available in liquid (ready-to-use) and dry powder formats. Liquid in bottles from 500 mL to 20 L and in single-use bioprocessing bags. Powder for extended shelf life and reduced shipping costs. Custom packaging, private labeling (OEM), and customer-specified supplementation available.

Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance

ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, and GMP manufacturing capability. Every lot ships with COA documenting sterility, endotoxin, pH, osmolality, and cell growth performance testing results.