Question 7: Why is serum heat inactivation necessary.
Heating can inactivate the complement system. The activated complement participates in cell lysis events, stimulates smooth muscle contraction, releases histamine from cells and platelets, and activates lymphocytes and macrophages. It is recommended to use heat inactivated serum for immunological research, cultivation of ES cells, insect cells, and smooth muscle cells.
Question 8: Is it necessary to perform heat inactivation on all serum.
Experiments have shown that heat quenching and blood activating clearing are not necessary for most cells. The serum treated in this way only has a slight promotion of cell growth, or has no effect at all, and is often reduced in cell growth rate due to the high temperature treatment affecting the quality of the serum. After heat treatment, the sediment in the serum will significantly increase. When observed under an inverted microscope, these sediments, like "small black dots," often lead researchers to mistakenly believe that the serum has been contaminated. However, placing the serum in a 37 ℃ environment will further increase these sediments, leading researchers to mistakenly believe that it is the division and expansion of microorganisms. Therefore, we suggest that if not necessary, you do not need to undergo heat inactivation treatment. In this way, not only does it save you valuable time, but it also ensures the quality of the serum!
Question 9: How to correctly carry out serum inactivation.
Please place the serum in a 56 ℃ water bath for 30 minutes during heat inactivation. To minimize the impact of heat inactivation on serum quality, the volume of inactivated serum should not be too large. It is best to prepare the same container with an equal volume of water (at the same temperature as the serum). When inactivating, place the container containing both serum and water in a 56 ℃ water bath, and place a thermometer in the container containing water. During the heating process, gently rotate and mix the serum. When the thermometer shows around 56 ℃, start timing.
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