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FRS PioneerThe first member of our FRS family, FRS Pioneer is an immediately substitutable (drop-in), chemically defined, broad spectrum, animal component free replacement for Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS). FRS Pioneer can be added to cell culture media in place of FBS to culture or cryopreserve cells without the use of any animal components or serum (i.e. 100mL of FRS™ Pioneer is equivalent to 100mL of FBS). This provides a cleaner background for assays and applications such as exosome capture.
To date, analyses indicate that intracellular signalling and cellular function are maintained between FBS and FRS™ cultured cells. SKU: FRSPI0100, FRSPI0500 or FRSPI1000 |
*FRS Pioneer is open for orders. Due to anticipated demand, orders placed before December 31, 2025 will be shipped by February 15, 2026.
Even with the full knowledge of the reproducibility, regulatory, and sustainability/ethical benefits associated with going serum-free, we know changing scientific processes can be intimidating. FRS is broad-spectrum and designed to drop in to your usual FBS-dependent workflows as smoothly as possible. To make it even easier, our scientific co-founder Katie offers complimentary, personalised support sessions to purchasers of FRS to ensure your transition away from serum is smooth. Even if FRS Pioneer isn't the right fit for you, Katie is committed to helping; whether that's through suggesting other products/services or giving guidance on your own in-house media development projects. Prior to Media City Scientific, Katie designed and executed world-class media development pipelines using DoE, baysian algorithms, and other advanced techniques to optimise cell culture media for very specific purposes (as opposed to FRS which has been deliberately designed for broad spectrum functionality).
Even with the full knowledge of the reproducibility, regulatory, and sustainability/ethical benefits associated with going serum-free, we know changing scientific processes can be intimidating. FRS is broad-spectrum and designed to drop in to your usual FBS-dependent workflows as smoothly as possible. To make it even easier, our scientific co-founder Katie offers complimentary, personalised support sessions to purchasers of FRS to ensure your transition away from serum is smooth. Even if FRS Pioneer isn't the right fit for you, Katie is committed to helping; whether that's through suggesting other products/services or giving guidance on your own in-house media development projects. Prior to Media City Scientific, Katie designed and executed world-class media development pipelines using DoE, baysian algorithms, and other advanced techniques to optimise cell culture media for very specific purposes (as opposed to FRS which has been deliberately designed for broad spectrum functionality).
FRS Pioneer has successfully been used by external scientists to achieve:
1. Routine expansion of a broad range of immortalised cell lines (HEK, CHO, MCF7, A549, and more)
2. Transfection of cell lines for protein production
3. Cryopreservation when mixed with 10% DMSO
4. 10-fold reduction in FBS-usage for advanced, primary organoid cell culture models
5. Background-free assays for cytokine production analysis
And many more applications. Please reach out directly if there is a specific application or use case that you're interested in.
2. Transfection of cell lines for protein production
3. Cryopreservation when mixed with 10% DMSO
4. 10-fold reduction in FBS-usage for advanced, primary organoid cell culture models
5. Background-free assays for cytokine production analysis
And many more applications. Please reach out directly if there is a specific application or use case that you're interested in.
Product Information
FRS Pioneer is:
1. Drop in - an easy substitute for FBS in your laboratory processes
2. Broad spectrum - grows a wide range of primary and immortalised cell lines
3. Chemically defined - ensuring batch consistency and research reproducibility
4. Animal component free
5. Contaminant free
6. Affordable - priced on par with Premium FBS
See how FRS Pioneer performs (data sheets)
Immortalised cells
Primary cells
Cryopreservation
FRS Pioneer User Information and Application Notes
White Paper - Transitioning immortalised cell lines to chemically defined, serum free cell culture media with FRS Pioneer
FRS Pioneer User Guide and Application Notes
FRS Pioneer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FRS FAQs
FRS Usage
FRS Pioneer is for research use or further manufacturing, not for diagnostic or clinical use.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
FRS Pioneer SDS
Sales Agreement
Media City Scientific Terms of Sale
1. Drop in - an easy substitute for FBS in your laboratory processes
2. Broad spectrum - grows a wide range of primary and immortalised cell lines
3. Chemically defined - ensuring batch consistency and research reproducibility
4. Animal component free
5. Contaminant free
6. Affordable - priced on par with Premium FBS
See how FRS Pioneer performs (data sheets)
Immortalised cells
Primary cells
Cryopreservation
FRS Pioneer User Information and Application Notes
White Paper - Transitioning immortalised cell lines to chemically defined, serum free cell culture media with FRS Pioneer
FRS Pioneer User Guide and Application Notes
FRS Pioneer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FRS FAQs
FRS Usage
FRS Pioneer is for research use or further manufacturing, not for diagnostic or clinical use.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
FRS Pioneer SDS
Sales Agreement
Media City Scientific Terms of Sale
International Customers
For those outside of Australia/NZ: FRS is currently shipped frozen. Given the quantity of dry ice required for international shipments, significant shipping costs will be incurred. Please contact us to discuss your options if you're interested in early access to FRS.
Media City Scientific is currently exploring partnerships with distributors in markets where customers have expressed interest. We expect those to come online in the later half of 2026 as we scale manufacturing, so please get in touch if you would like to be notified when a local contact and distribution within your region has been established.
Media City Scientific is currently exploring partnerships with distributors in markets where customers have expressed interest. We expect those to come online in the later half of 2026 as we scale manufacturing, so please get in touch if you would like to be notified when a local contact and distribution within your region has been established.
FRS Pioneer Frequently Asked Questions
In what areas can FRS™ Pioneer effectively replace FBS?
FRS™ Pioneer has been used to grow a broad range of immortalised cell-lines, allowing for easy chemically-defined and reproducible cell culture. It supports the growth of nutritionally demanding primary cells in the short term, allowing for back-ground free assays or exosome analyses. It has been used for long-term culture of nutritionally demanding primary cells with 1-2% FBS, allowing your FBS batches to last 5-10x longer. It has been used with 10% DMSO as a cryopreservation agent for a range of cell types. To date, downstream analyses centring intracellular signalling or functional capabilities have not identified differences in cells cultured in FBS versus FRS™ Pioneer. See data sheets or ask directly for more details.
FRS™ Pioneer has been used to grow a broad range of immortalised cell-lines, allowing for easy chemically-defined and reproducible cell culture. It supports the growth of nutritionally demanding primary cells in the short term, allowing for back-ground free assays or exosome analyses. It has been used for long-term culture of nutritionally demanding primary cells with 1-2% FBS, allowing your FBS batches to last 5-10x longer. It has been used with 10% DMSO as a cryopreservation agent for a range of cell types. To date, downstream analyses centring intracellular signalling or functional capabilities have not identified differences in cells cultured in FBS versus FRS™ Pioneer. See data sheets or ask directly for more details.
What is in FRS™ Pioneer?
FRS™ Pioneer contains key recombinant proteins, lipids, vitamins, amino acids, trace elements and other factors found in FBS. It contains no undefined plant or animal components, including BSA.
FRS™ Pioneer contains key recombinant proteins, lipids, vitamins, amino acids, trace elements and other factors found in FBS. It contains no undefined plant or animal components, including BSA.
Is FRS™ Pioneer protein-free?
No, like FBS, FRS™ Pioneer contains proteins critical for cell growth. FRS™ Pioneer contains substantially less protein than FBS while maintaining the ability to support cell proliferation.
No, like FBS, FRS™ Pioneer contains proteins critical for cell growth. FRS™ Pioneer contains substantially less protein than FBS while maintaining the ability to support cell proliferation.
Is there anything found in FBS but not FRS™ Pioneer?
Yes. FBS contains a wide range of immune-associated proteins and molecules (e.g. complement, immunoglobins, many cytokines). These components are not present in FRS™ Pioneer which reduces the background signal you can expect to see in associated assays. FBS also contains adhesion factors not present in FRS™ Pioneer; this can be beneficial when adapting adherent cells to suspension culture. If culturing adhesion cells with FRS Pioneer, we recommend coating the tissue culture plates with adhesion proteins (see GECKO) and/or use of specialty plates (e.g. Corning CellBind or equivalent).
Yes. FBS contains a wide range of immune-associated proteins and molecules (e.g. complement, immunoglobins, many cytokines). These components are not present in FRS™ Pioneer which reduces the background signal you can expect to see in associated assays. FBS also contains adhesion factors not present in FRS™ Pioneer; this can be beneficial when adapting adherent cells to suspension culture. If culturing adhesion cells with FRS Pioneer, we recommend coating the tissue culture plates with adhesion proteins (see GECKO) and/or use of specialty plates (e.g. Corning CellBind or equivalent).
How should I passage adherent cells in FRS™ Pioneer?
Many adherent cells require an adhesion coating to encourage attachment of cells to standard tissue culture plastic. We recommend using specialty plates (e.g. Corning CellBind or equivalent) and/or coating your cell culture surface with adhesion proteins. Suitable options include the animal-free GECKO coating by Media City Scientific, or a cell-specific coating (e.g. vitronectin, fibronectin, laminin, collagen, gelatine, Matrigel). Please reach out or check our website for recommendations specific to your cell type. When passaging cells, we recommend Accutase or Tryple over Trypsin and minimising exposure of cells to passaging reagents. Including conditioned media can also improve adherence.
Many adherent cells require an adhesion coating to encourage attachment of cells to standard tissue culture plastic. We recommend using specialty plates (e.g. Corning CellBind or equivalent) and/or coating your cell culture surface with adhesion proteins. Suitable options include the animal-free GECKO coating by Media City Scientific, or a cell-specific coating (e.g. vitronectin, fibronectin, laminin, collagen, gelatine, Matrigel). Please reach out or check our website for recommendations specific to your cell type. When passaging cells, we recommend Accutase or Tryple over Trypsin and minimising exposure of cells to passaging reagents. Including conditioned media can also improve adherence.
Does FRS™ Pioneer contain exosomes?
No. Unlike FBS, exosomes are not present in FRS™ Pioneer. This provides a clean background for exosome production and isolation systems.
No. Unlike FBS, exosomes are not present in FRS™ Pioneer. This provides a clean background for exosome production and isolation systems.
Is FRS™ Pioneer cGMP-compliant for use in therapeutics?
FRS™ Pioneer is presently manufactured under ISO9001 and ISO13485 conditions for research use only. We are presently planning for manufacture of a cGMP-grade FRS™ Pioneer. Please contact us if this is of interest.
FRS™ Pioneer is presently manufactured under ISO9001 and ISO13485 conditions for research use only. We are presently planning for manufacture of a cGMP-grade FRS™ Pioneer. Please contact us if this is of interest.
More questions?
We’re scientists too, and we want to help. Reach out and we’ll happily share additional information you might need to make sure your experiments are successful.
We’re scientists too, and we want to help. Reach out and we’ll happily share additional information you might need to make sure your experiments are successful.
