Irradiation of FBS
Gamma Irradiation of Fetal Bovine Serum and Bovine Serum
Gamma irradiation available upon request.
Serum can be irradiated prior to shipment to meet your safety and regulatory requirements.
Serum can be irradiated prior to shipment to meet your safety and regulatory requirements.
Overview
Gamma irradiation is the most widely used method for viral inactivation in fetal bovine serum (FBS) and bovine serum. It produces a biologically active product while reducing the risk of adventitious viral contamination.
High-energy gamma photons, typically from a cobalt-60 source, penetrate the serum and disrupt biological systems by damaging DNA/RNA and other cellular structures. This inactivates microorganisms without significantly affecting the growth-promoting components of the serum.
How Gamma Irradiation Works
Gamma SourcePenetrationViral Inactivation
Figure 1. Simplified gamma irradiation process.
- Gamma photons penetrate packaging and frozen serum
- Ionizing radiation damages microbial DNA
- Viruses and other contaminants are inactivated
- Serum retains functional biological performance
Key Challenges in Serum Irradiation
Gamma irradiation of bovine serum—especially frozen serum—is technically complex and requires precise control.
- Serum volume: Larger volumes reduce dose uniformity
- Packaging design: Bottle geometry affects radiation penetration
- Frozen state: Ice density impacts dose distribution
- Dose mapping: Ensuring consistent exposure throughout the product
Standard irradiation approaches often fail to deliver a uniform or adequate dose in frozen serum, leading to incomplete viral inactivation.
Validated Irradiation and Viral Inactivation
Our gamma irradiation process has been validated with both dose mapping studies and viral inactivation studies to ensure consistent, effective treatment.
Dose Mapping Validation
- Confirms uniform radiation delivery throughout the entire product mass
- Accounts for volume, packaging configuration, and frozen state
- Ensures both central and peripheral regions receive the intended dose
Viral Inactivation Validation
- Demonstrates reduction or inactivation of potential viral contaminants
- Confirms biological efficacy without compromising serum function
- Supports applications requiring enhanced biosafety
Traditional or non-validated irradiation may fail to deliver adequate dose uniformly, potentially resulting in incomplete viral inactivation. Proper validation is essential to ensure product safety and performance.
Applications
- Biopharmaceutical manufacturing
- Vaccine production
- Cell therapy and regenerative medicine
- Research requiring enhanced biosafety
Ordering Information
Simplify your workflow.
Gamma irradiation can be performed prior to shipment. Simply request irradiation when placing your order to ensure your serum meets your specific safety and compliance requirements.
Gamma irradiation can be performed prior to shipment. Simply request irradiation when placing your order to ensure your serum meets your specific safety and compliance requirements.