Vero Cell Propagation Medium

Dillon Corvino

This medium is used for routine propagation of Vero cells.
Published

September 18, 2026

Protocol ID: BUF-VERO-PROP Version: v1.2 Author: Dillon Corvino Date: September 18, 2026

Purpose

This medium is used for routine propagation of Vero cells for LCMV focus-forming assays and other virological applications.

Linked protocols

  • MUS-LCMV-PLA
  • MUS-LCMV-FFA

Working buffer composition

Final volume: 500 mL.

Component Amount Final concentration / note
DMEM (high glucose, with L-glutamine, phenol red) to 500 mL Base medium
Heat-inactivated FCS/FBS 50 mL 10% (v/v)
2-mercaptoethanol (100x stock; see lab stock sheet for concentration) 0.5 mL 1x final (typical 50-100 uM range)
Warning

For Vero cell culture, always use DMEM-based medium. Do not confuse this with RPMI-based media used elsewhere in the plaque/FFA protocol (e.g. for sample dilution).

Preparation

A. Preparation of stock (if applicable)

Not applicable — prepared directly as the working buffer.

B. Preparation of working buffer

  1. In a sterile biosafety cabinet, add ~400 mL of DMEM to a sterile 500 mL bottle.
  2. Add:
    • 50 mL heat-inactivated FCS/FBS.
    • 0.5 mL of the 100x 2-mercaptoethanol stock (check your lab stock sheet for the exact stock concentration and resulting final uM).
  3. Top up with DMEM to a final volume of 500 mL.
  4. Mix gently by inversion.
  5. If any component was added from a non-sterile container, sterile-filter the complete medium (0.22 um filter) into a fresh sterile bottle.
  6. Label with:
    • “Vero propagation medium (DMEM + 10% FCS + 2-ME)”
    • Date of preparation
    • Initials
  7. Store at 4 °C for up to 4 weeks, protected from light.

Storage and stability

  • Store at 4 °C, protected from light.
  • Use within 4 weeks of preparation.
  • Discard medium if there is any sign of contamination (turbidity, threads, pH shift) or if it is past the defined expiry.

Use

  • Warm medium to 37 °C before use with cells.
  • Discard medium if there is any sign of contamination (turbidity, threads, pH shift) or if it is past the defined expiry (4 weeks from preparation).

Reagent details

Component Supplier Cat# Notes
DMEM (high glucose, with L-glutamine, phenol red) [TBD] [TBD] Base medium
Heat-inactivated FCS/FBS [TBD] [TBD] 10% final
2-mercaptoethanol [TBD] [TBD] 100x stock; 1x final

Safety (brief)

  • 2-mercaptoethanol is hazardous — handle with gloves and eye protection, and use a fume hood when working with concentrated stock.
  • FCS/FBS is of animal origin and should be treated as a potential biohazard.
  • Prepare and handle medium under aseptic conditions inside a biosafety cabinet.

Version history

Version Date Author Changes
v1.0 2025-12-01 Dillon Corvino Initial Quarto buffer document (MEM-based formulation).
v1.1 2025-12-02 Dillon Corvino Updated to DMEM + 10% FCS + 1x P/S + 2-ME, aligned with lab protocol.
v1.2 2026-09-18 Dillon Corvino Migrated to shared summary:/helper architecture (buffer/protocol redesign).