FBS Product Comparison Guide

Compare origin, specifications, and pricing across our complete Fetal Bovine Serum catalog to find the right product for your research.

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11 FBS Products

4 origins, 5 specialty treatments

Triple Filtered

0.1µm sterile filtration on every lot

Same Day Shipping

Orders by 2pm PT ship same day

Expert Support

FBS specialists at (707) 606-0678

We offer 11 FBS products across 4 countries of collection and 5 specialty treatments. Every product undergoes triple 0.1µm sterile filtration to a sterility assurance level of 10⁻³, 9CFR virus panel testing, and ships with a Certificate of Analysis and Certificate of Origin. Use the tables below to compare by origin, treatment, or price.

FBS Specifications by Origin

All products triple 0.1µm sterile filtered. Heat inactivation available for +$10 on all standard products.

Product500mLEndotoxinHemoglobinpHOsmolality
US Origin FBS$595≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
US Origin FBS Advance$625≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
USDA Approved FBS$425≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
USDA Approved FBS Advance$495≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
Australian Origin FBS$695≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
NZ Origin FBS Advance$725≤5 EU/mL≤25 mg/dL7.0–8.0280–360
Charcoal Stripped$660Specialty — contact for lot-specific specs
Dialyzed$660Specialty — contact for lot-specific specs
Gamma Irradiated$750Specialty — contact for lot-specific specs
Exosome Depleted$1,750 (250mL)Specialty — contact for lot-specific specs

Prices current as of March 2026. Specifications represent published acceptance criteria per COA. Actual lot results typically exceed these standards (e.g., endotoxin results often <0.1 EU/mL). Lot-specific COA available for every product.

FBS by Origin

US Origin FBS

US Origin FBS comes from cattle born and raised exclusively within the United States. This origin provides the highest level of domestic traceability and is the standard choice for NIH-funded research requiring US-sourced materials.

  • Full USDA domestic traceability from collection to delivery
  • Tested for bovine viruses (BVD, IBR, PI3, BRSV), mycoplasma, sterility, endotoxin, and hemoglobin
  • Standard ($595/500mL) and Advance ($625/500mL) grades available

USDA-Approved Origin FBS

USDA-Approved Origin FBS is collected in countries with USDA-approved BSE negligible-risk status, imported under USDA permit with full regulatory documentation. Both origins are classified as BSE negligible risk by WOAH.

  • USDA/APHIS approved import with full documentation
  • ISIA traceable for supply chain transparency
  • Best value for labs that do not require domestic-only sourcing — $425/500mL

Australian Origin FBS

Australian Origin FBS comes from Australia’s BSE-free cattle population. This origin is preferred by researchers conducting work for international regulatory submissions or those requiring geographic isolation from BSE-affected regions.

  • BSE-free geographic origin recognized by OIE
  • Gamma-irradiated option available for additional biosafety
  • Premium grade at $695/500mL

New Zealand Origin FBS

New Zealand maintains some of the strictest animal import controls in the world, making NZ Origin FBS a premium choice for researchers requiring exceptional biosafety credentials.

  • Geographic isolation from BSE-affected regions
  • Stringent government oversight of animal products
  • Advance grade with extended hormonal profiling — $725/500mL

Specialty FBS Products

Charcoal-Stripped FBS — $660/500mL

Charcoal stripping removes hormones, growth factors, and lipophilic molecules from serum while preserving essential proteins. Essential for:

  • Estrogen and androgen receptor studies
  • Steroid-sensitive cell proliferation assays
  • Drug screening where endogenous hormones could confound results

Dialyzed FBS — $660/500mL

Dialysis removes small molecules (typically below 10 kDa molecular weight cutoff) while retaining larger serum proteins. Use dialyzed FBS when your protocol requires:

  • Defined amino acid or glucose concentrations
  • Metabolic labeling experiments
  • Studies where small-molecule contaminants could interfere

Gamma-Irradiated FBS — $750/500mL

Gamma irradiation provides an additional layer of biosafety by inactivating potential adventitious agents. Recommended for:

  • Work in BSL-2+ containment facilities
  • Applications requiring maximum biosafety assurance

Exosome-Depleted FBS — $1,750/250mL

Exosome-depleted FBS has been ultracentrifuged to remove extracellular vesicles, making it essential for researchers studying exosome biology, cell-to-cell communication, and extracellular vesicle characterization.

Innovative Bioscience US Origin Fetal Bovine Serum 500mL bottle in laboratory setting

ORIGIN & QUALITY

How to Choose the Right FBS

Selecting the right FBS depends on several factors:

  • Regulatory requirements: NIH-funded or FDA-regulated work typically requires US Origin FBS. International collaborations may need Australian or NZ origin.
  • Application specificity: Hormone studies need charcoal-stripped. Metabolic research benefits from dialyzed. Exosome research requires exosome-depleted.
  • Budget: USDA Approved FBS at $425/500mL offers excellent quality at our most competitive price point.
  • Lot consistency: Take advantage of our lot matching service to reserve lots that work well with your cell lines.

Decision framework: Consider regulatory requirements (NIH-funded work typically requires US Origin), application specificity (hormone studies need charcoal-stripped, metabolic research benefits from dialyzed), and lot consistency (use our lot matching service to reserve lots that work with your cell lines).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Both grades undergo the same baseline QC: triple 0.1µm filtration, 9CFR virus panel, endotoxin screening, mycoplasma testing, and cell growth performance verification. Standard includes hemoglobin, osmolality, pH, total protein, and IgG testing. Advance adds extended hormonal profiling — cortisol, insulin, progesterone, testosterone, T3, and T4 — plus full biochemistry panel (alkaline phosphatase, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and trace metals), delivering tighter lot-to-lot consistency for hormone-sensitive applications.

Heat inactivation (56°C for 30 minutes) destroys complement proteins that can interfere with immunological assays, antibody-dependent cytotoxicity studies, and some transfection protocols. If your cell line doesn’t require it, standard FBS typically gives better growth performance. HI versions are available for every product for +$10. See our HI vs Standard guide.

US Origin is collected from cattle born, raised, and processed entirely in the United States. USDA-Approved Origin is collected in countries with USDA-approved BSE negligible-risk status (such as Mexico), then imported under USDA/APHIS permit with full regulatory documentation. Both origins are classified as BSE negligible risk by WOAH. USDA Approved is our most affordable option at $425/500mL while maintaining full compliance for NIH-funded and IACUC-reviewed research.

Yes. Most FBS products are available in 50mL evaluation sizes. Test lot performance in your specific cell lines before committing to 500mL. We also offer lot reservation — once you’ve validated a lot, we’ll hold inventory so you can reorder the same lot for long-term consistency. Request a sample here.

Every lot ships with both a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Certificate of Origin (COO). COAs include full test results for sterility, endotoxin, mycoplasma, hemoglobin, osmolality, pH, total protein, IgG, GGT, and complete 9CFR Part 113.53c virus panel. Advance grade COAs additionally include hormonal profiling, full biochemistry, trace metals, and protein electrophoresis. Both documents are downloadable from each product page and available on request before purchase. Search COAs here.

All lots undergo the complete 9 CFR Part 113.53c virus testing panel, which screens for: Bluetongue Virus, Bovine Adenovirus, Bovine Parvovirus, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVD), Cytopathogenic Agents (IBR), Hemadsorbing Agents (PI3), Rabies Virus, and Reovirus. BVDV antibody titers (Type 1 and Type 2) are reported via serum neutralization testing.

Trusted by Research Labs

Meghan Z., Research Scientist

Their pricing was competitive, their replies always fast and courteous, and their FBS fared better against HyClone and Corning.

Elisa C., Lab Manager

The products are great especially the Heat inactivated FBS, tubes and tips. Super professional and always happy to help.

James L., Stanford University

Switched from Gibco to save on budget and can't tell the difference in our CHO-K1 growth curves.

Read more reviews here

Quality Tested

Every lot tested per 9CFR virus panel with CoA and CoO documentation

Same-Day Shipping

Ships same-day on orders placed by 2pm PT, Mon–Fri

Lot Reservation

Reserve your preferred lot for consistent long-term results

Transparent Pricing

Published prices, no quote games — 50mL evaluation sizes from $42.50

Request a Sample

We offer 50 mL evaluation sizes so you can test our FBS in your own assays before committing to a full purchase. Every evaluation sample ships from the same lot as the full-size bottles, with a complete Certificate of Analysis.

We will ship your samples with full Certificates of Analysis and lot-specific documentation.

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Ready to Test?

50mL evaluation sizes from $42.50 — test in your cell lines before you commit.

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