IMDM

Q: Why do eight configurations show HEPES as included and eight show it as not included?

The FluxMPS IMDM, High Glucose catalog is organized as two parallel series of eight configurations each. The first series is buffered by sodium bicarbonate alone; the second series carries the canonical 25 mM HEPES of Iscove's formulation in addition to the bicarbonate system. Within each series the same three variables are offered in every combination: L-Glutamine, Sodium Bicarbonate and Phenol Red. Sodium pyruvate is present in all sixteen configurations. Use the supplement filter to check HEPES if your workflow requires the zwitterionic buffer, or leave it unchecked to see the bicarbonate-only series.

Q: Is FluxMPS IMDM suitable for organ-on-a-chip and microfluidic perfusion work?

FluxMPS media are purified to 0.04 microns, finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available, through a quadruple-stage filtration architecture of two 0.1 micron pre-filtration stages followed by two 0.04 micron sterile-filtration stages. At this level the microscopic particulates and protein aggregates that silently block micro-channels, disrupt laminar flow and generate false biological signals are eliminated before the media reaches the chip. That makes the format well matched to organ-on-chip, tissue-on-chip and lab-on-chip platforms, to long-term automated perfusion running continuously for weeks, and to metabolic tracing where an ultra-pure matrix avoids contaminant interference.

FluxMPS™ Cell Culture Media · Product Family

history_edu Built on the Iscove & Melchers 1978 Modification of DMEM

FluxMPS™ Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM), High Glucose Family

IMDM is a highly enriched cell culture medium designed for rapidly proliferating, high-density cell cultures — a modification of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) that adds selenium, extra amino acids and vitamins, sodium pyruvate and HEPES buffer, and uses potassium nitrate in place of iron nitrate. FluxMPS™ supplies it as a 1X liquid in sixteen supplement configurations, purified through a quadruple-stage filtration architecture to 0.04 microns for organ-on-chip, tissue-on-chip and lab-on-chip workflows where the medium itself is part of the instrument.

Sixteen 1X liquid configurations in two parallel series — a bicarbonate-buffered series (DCP-IMDM…) and a 25 mM HEPES series (DCP-IMDMH…) — varying by L-Glutamine, Sodium Bicarbonate, HEPES and Phenol Red.
Highly enriched formulation design — selenium as sodium selenite, additional amino acids and vitamins, sodium pyruvate and HEPES, with potassium nitrate replacing the ferric nitrate of DMEM, so the base carries no added iron.
High glucose at 4500 mg/L (4.5 g/L) to sustain vigorous proliferation at high cell density.
Sodium pyruvate is included in all sixteen configurations at 110 mg/L; L-Glutamine, where included, is supplied at 584 mg/L (4 mM).
Purified to 0.04 microns — finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available — through two 0.1 micron pre-filtration stages and two 0.04 micron sterile-filtration stages.
Validated across demanding cell types — erythrocyte progenitor cells, macrophages, mouse B lymphocytes, bone-marrow hematopoietic cells, T lymphocytes and hybridoma cells, plus Jurkat, COS-7 and K-562 lines and ESC/iPSC differentiation workflows.
500 mL and 1000 mL sizes, stored at 2–8 °C away from bright light; concentration, glucose, HEPES, pH and supplement customizations available on request.

DCP-IMDM1X · DCP-IMDMH1X · 14 further configurations

FluxMPS™ Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM), High Glucose — 1X Liquid

Concentration1X liquid
Glucose4500 mg/L (4.5 g/L)
L-Glutamine (where included)584 mg/L (4 mM)
Sodium pyruvate (all configs)110 mg/L
HEPES (HEPES series)5958 mg/L (25 mM)
Sodium bicarbonate (where included)3024 mg/L
Salt baseModified Earle's-type, KNO3
Trace elementSodium selenite
BufferingBicarbonate, 5-10% CO2
Configurations16
Sizes500 mL, 1000 mL
Storage2-8 C, away from light

RUO Iscove 1978 Foundational Customizable

Select Your Supplement Configuration

Sixteen IMDM, High Glucose configurations — filter by the supplements you need

Tick the supplement or supplements your protocol requires and press Search; every configuration that includes all of them is highlighted, and Clear resets the table. Each row links straight through to its product page from both the catalog number and the View button. Sodium pyruvate is present in all sixteen configurations, so it is stated here once rather than repeated as a column; the source table's Special column carries no entries for this family.

FluxMPS™ IMDM, High Glucose — 16 Configurations

At-a-glance supplement matrix — click to view product page.

Name	Cat No.	L-Glutamine	Sodium Bicarbonate	HEPES	Phenol Red	Product Page
IMDM	DCP-IMDM1X	check	check	remove	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Glutamine	DCP-IMDM-Q1X	remove	check	remove	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Bicarbonate	DCP-IMDM-B1X	check	remove	remove	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Phenol Red	DCP-IMDM-R1X	check	check	remove	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Glutamine, Bicarbonate	DCP-IMDM-QB1X	remove	remove	remove	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Glutamine, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDM-QR1X	remove	check	remove	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Bicarbonate, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDM-BR1X	check	remove	remove	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM w/o Glutamine, Bicarbonate, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDM-QBR1X	remove	remove	remove	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPESlisted as "IMDM" in the source table	DCP-IMDMH1X	check	check	check	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Glutamine	DCP-IMDMH-Q1X	remove	check	check	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Bicarbonate	DCP-IMDMH-B1X	check	remove	check	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Phenol Red	DCP-IMDMH-R1X	check	check	check	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Glutamine, Bicarbonate	DCP-IMDMH-QB1X	remove	remove	check	check	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Glutamine, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDMH-QR1X	remove	check	check	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Bicarbonate, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDMH-BR1X	check	remove	check	remove	Viewarrow_forward
IMDM + HEPES w/o Glutamine, Bicarbonate, Phenol Red	DCP-IMDMH-QBR1X	remove	remove	check	remove	Viewarrow_forward

CUSTOMIZATION: 1X standard concentration. 4.5 g/L standard Glucose concentration. 25 mM standard HEPES buffer concentration. Other concentrations, additions of chemicals, compounds, proteins, supplements, a different pH, and modifications as needed are available on request — contact support@diagnocine.com.

About IMDM

A highly enriched medium for high-density, rapidly proliferating, and serum-free cell culture

Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM) is a highly enriched synthetic basal medium developed in the late 1970s by Norman N. Iscove and Fritz Melchers. It is one of the most nutrient-dense modifications of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM), engineered to support the vigorous proliferation of hematopoietic precursors, lymphocytes and hybridomas at high cell densities under serum-free or serum-reduced, chemically defined conditions.

Compared with DMEM, IMDM adds selenium (as sodium selenite), additional amino acids and vitamins, sodium pyruvate, and a 25 mM HEPES buffer, and replaces the ferric nitrate in DMEM with potassium nitrate. Because it lacks iron and lipids, IMDM is designed to be completed with transferrin, albumin and a lipid source when true serum-free growth is required — exactly as intended in Iscove's original work. Notably, the use of potassium nitrate instead of iron nitrate is beneficial for rapid cell proliferation.

The medium is particularly well-suited for culturing erythrocyte progenitor cells, macrophages, mouse B lymphocytes, bone marrow hematopoietic cells, T lymphocytes and various hybridoma cells. It can also serve as a base solution for some unique serum-free media formulations. While it contains many necessary ingredients for cell culture, IMDM does not include proteins, lipids or growth factors, so it typically requires supplementation with serum or serum-free additives. The medium uses a sodium bicarbonate buffer system and requires a 5–10% CO₂ environment to maintain physiological pH.

Norman Iscove and the hematopoietic growth challenge

In the 1970s, clonal culture of hematopoietic precursors — B-lymphocyte precursors, erythroid progenitors and related cells — relied on high concentrations of fetal bovine serum, typically 20–30%, together with undefined supplements. These high-serum conditions introduced batch-to-batch variability and confounded efforts to identify the specific factors regulating cell growth. Working at the Friedrich Miescher Institute and then the Basel Institute for Immunology (Basel, Switzerland), Norman N. Iscove set out to define these requirements by removing serum altogether. He found that classical basal media such as MEM and standard DMEM became nutrient-limiting as cell densities rose, and so re-engineered the base medium to prevent depletion of key nutrients.

Two foundational papers

Guilbert & Iscove (1976), Nature 263: 594–595 — "Partial replacement of serum by selenite, transferrin, albumin and lecithin in hemopoietic cell cultures."^[2] This study first established that defined components could replace much of the serum requirement, and this is why selenium is a signature component of IMDM.

Iscove & Melchers (1978), J. Exp. Med. 147(3): 923–933 — "Complete replacement of serum by albumin, transferrin, and soybean lipid in cultures of lipopolysaccharide-reactive B lymphocytes."^[1] This is the definitive paper describing the enriched medium and demonstrating that LPS-stimulated murine B lymphocytes could grow and mature to immunoglobulin secretion in fully serum-free conditions supplemented only with albumin, transferrin and soybean lipid.

Evolution to a standalone standard

Although optimized initially for murine B-lymphocytes, IMDM's superior nutrient capacity led to rapid adoption across many demanding cell types. It became a default choice for hybridoma antibody production, high-density suspension and bioreactor cultures, and hematopoietic and stem-cell workflows where classical media could not sustain exponential growth. It also became the base for several downstream serum-free formulations, such as the X-VIVO hematopoietic media.^[3]

Lineage

The IMDM family tree

IMDM sits one step downstream of DMEM and upstream of several modern serum-free formulations. Its position in that lineage explains every one of its distinguishing components.

MEM and standard DMEM (the constraint) — classical basal media that became nutrient-limiting as cell densities rose, which is the specific problem the IMDM re-engineering set out to solve.
DMEM (the parent) — IMDM is a modification of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium and shares its 4500 mg/L high-glucose level. The ~2× or greater glucose difference is relative to RPMI-1640 and low-glucose formulations, not to DMEM.
IMDM (this family) — adds selenium as sodium selenite, additional amino acids and vitamins, sodium pyruvate and 25 mM HEPES; substitutes potassium nitrate for ferric nitrate, so the base contains no added iron; adds biotin and vitamin B₁₂, which standard DMEM lacks.
Serum-free descendants — IMDM became the base for several downstream serum-free formulations, including the X-VIVO hematopoietic media, and serves as a base solution for other unique serum-free media formulations.

Composition

Standard IMDM formulation

The composition below is the canonical IMDM formulation; values are mg/L. HiMedia supplies IMDM both with 25 mM HEPES and 3.024 g/L sodium bicarbonate (AL070A, complete) and with 25 mM HEPES but without bicarbonate (AT070, to which 3.024 g/L NaHCO₃ is added before use). Individual FluxMPS™ configurations omit L-Glutamine, Sodium Bicarbonate, HEPES or Phenol Red exactly as indicated in the supplement matrix above.

IMDM uses a modified Earle's-type salt base. Its defining inorganic feature is potassium nitrate (KNO₃) in place of the ferric nitrate found in DMEM, meaning the base medium contains no added iron — iron is instead delivered by transferrin under serum-free conditions. It also includes sodium selenite as an essential trace element.

Ingredient	mg/L
Calcium Chloride dihydrate (CaCl₂·2H₂O)	219.00
Magnesium Sulfate, anhydrous (MgSO₄)	97.67
Potassium Chloride (KCl)	330.00
Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃)	0.076
Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)	3024.00
Sodium Chloride (NaCl)	4505.00
Sodium Phosphate Monobasic, anhydrous (NaH₂PO₄)	109.00
Sodium Selenite (Na₂SeO₃)	0.017

Notes: CaCl₂·2H₂O at 219 mg/L corresponds to ~165 mg/L anhydrous and provides 1.49 mM Ca²⁺, notably higher than RPMI-1640's 0.42 mM. The complete medium's sodium bicarbonate (3024 mg/L) is designed for a 5–10% CO₂ environment; some suppliers (e.g., ATCC) formulate a lower-bicarbonate variant at 1500 mg/L.

IMDM carries an expanded, concentrated amino acid profile. Relative to DMEM, it adds several non-essential amino acids directly to the base — free L-alanine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid and L-proline — sparing rapidly dividing cells the metabolic cost of synthesizing them.

Ingredient	mg/L
Glycine	30.00
L-Alanine	25.00
L-Arginine hydrochloride	84.00
L-Asparagine monohydrate	28.40
L-Aspartic acid	30.00
L-Cystine dihydrochloride	91.24
L-Glutamic acid	75.00
L-Glutamine	584.00
L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate	42.00
L-Isoleucine	105.00
L-Leucine	105.00
L-Lysine hydrochloride	146.00
L-Methionine	30.00
L-Phenylalanine	66.00
L-Proline	40.00
L-Serine	42.00
L-Threonine	95.00
L-Tryptophan	16.00
L-Tyrosine disodium salt dihydrate	103.79
L-Valine	94.00

L-Glutamine (584 mg/L = 4 mM) is present in the standard formulation; glutamine-free versions are also offered for stabilized-dipeptide substitution.

IMDM's vitamin complement is enriched relative to DMEM chiefly by the addition of biotin and vitamin B₁₂, which standard DMEM lacks; the remaining vitamins are largely carried at DMEM-level concentrations. This prevents vitamins from becoming limiting during long-term, high-density proliferation.

Ingredient	mg/L
D-Biotin	0.013
Choline chloride	4.00
D-Calcium pantothenate	4.00
Folic acid	4.00
myo-Inositol	7.20
Niacinamide	4.00
Pyridoxal hydrochloride	4.00
Riboflavin	0.40
Thiamine hydrochloride	4.00
Vitamin B₁₂ (Cyanocobalamin)	0.013

Some suppliers substitute pyridoxine HCl for pyridoxal HCl; both appear in commercial IMDM lots.

IMDM incorporates HEPES directly at 25 mM in its standard formulation, giving robust pH control including at culture initiation and outside a CO₂ incubator. HEPES is a zwitterionic buffer with a pKa of ~7.3 at 37 °C, which prevents the initial pH rise that tends to occur when a culture is started.

Ingredient	mg/L
D-Glucose (Dextrose)	4500.00 (High Glucose)
HEPES	5958.00 (25 mM)
Phenol red sodium salt	15.00
Sodium pyruvate	110.00

Physical specifications (HiMedia)

Parameter	Complete (with NaHCO₃)	Without NaHCO₃ (add before use)
Appearance (powder)	Off-white to creamish homogeneous powder	Off-white to creamish homogeneous powder
pH (reconstituted)	6.7 – 7.3	5.2 – 5.8
Osmolality (mOsm/kg H₂O)	280 – 320	210 – 250
Storage	2–8 °C, protected from light	2–8 °C, protected from light

Composition and physical specification values above are reproduced from the supplier technical data referenced in the bibliography.^[4][5] Certificates of Analysis for a specific configuration and lot are available on request at support@diagnocine.com.

Comparison

IMDM vs. key counterparts

How IMDM differs from its parent medium and from the two media most often considered alongside it.

Feature	IMDM	DMEM (High-Glucose)	RPMI-1640	Williams' Medium E
Primary design goal	High-density hematopoietic / serum-free culture	Fast-growing adherent monolayer culture	Suspension lymphoid culture	Primary hepatocyte specialized culture
Glucose (mg/L)	4500 (25 mM)	4500 (25 mM)	2000 (11.1 mM)	2000 (11.1 mM)
HEPES in base	Present (25 mM)	Absent (optional add-on)	Absent (optional add-on)	Absent
Iron / nitrate source	Potassium nitrate (KNO₃); no added iron	Ferric nitrate	None	Trace metals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe)
Selenium	Present (sodium selenite)	Absent	Absent	Absent
Biotin / Vitamin B₁₂	Present	Absent	Present	Present
Ca²⁺	1.49 mM	1.8 mM	0.42 mM	~1.8 mM
Sodium pyruvate	Present (110 mg/L)	Optional	Absent	Present

Glucose framing: IMDM's 4500 mg/L is "high glucose," but it is identical to high-glucose DMEM, its parent; the ~2× or greater difference is relative to RPMI-1640 and low-glucose formulations, not to DMEM.

Why FluxMPS™

Built for the architecture of the future. Not the flask of the past.

Traditional cell culture media were formulated for static well plates and flasks — environments that tolerate impurities, precipitates and particle loads that would immediately compromise a microfluidic system. FluxMPS™ was designed from the ground up for platforms where the medium itself is part of the instrument.

filter_alt

Purified to 0.04 microns

Finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available. Microscopic particulates and protein aggregates are eliminated before the media ever reaches your chip.

water

Engineered for flow, not just growth

Every component is optimized for consistent, laminar flow performance across complex micro-channel geometries and capillary-bed or vascular simulations.

block

Zero-clogging as a baseline

Zero-clogging performance is not a feature — it is the baseline specification. Your platform stays operational and your data stays clean.

visibility

Optical clarity for live imaging

Optical clarity for real-time imaging and integrated biosensing in organ-on-chip platforms, where false biological signals from particulates are unacceptable.

schedule

Stability over long perfusion runs

Consistent formulation stability over weeks of continuous flow, supporting long-term automated perfusion studies that run without interruption.

tune

Configurable to your protocol

Sixteen stocked IMDM, High Glucose configurations, plus other concentrations, added compounds, proteins, supplements, a different pH and further modifications on request.

Manufacturing

Quadruple-stage filtration

FluxMPS™ media pass through four sequential filtration stages — two 0.1 micron pre-filtration stages followed by two 0.04 micron sterile-filtration stages.

01

0.1 micronPre-filtration, stage 1

First reduction of the particulate and aggregate load carried by a freshly formulated medium.
02

0.1 micronPre-filtration, stage 2

Second pass at the same rating, conditioning the stream before the sterile stages.
03

0.04 micronSterile filtration, stage 3

The stage that takes the medium below the threshold at which micro-channel blockage and flow disruption originate.
04

0.04 micronSterile filtration, stage 4

Final pass delivering media purified to 0.04 microns — finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available.

Why 0.04 microns matters for IMDM workflows

IMDM is used at high cell density and over long, continuous runs — precisely the conditions in which accumulated particulates and protein aggregates cause channel blockage, disrupted laminar flow and false biological signals. Filtering below that threshold protects the platform, not just the culture.

4

Sequential filtration stages

0.04

Micron final filtration rating

FluxMPS™ Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM), High Glucose Family Quadruple-stage filtration system diagram — two 0.1 micron pre-filtration stages followed by two 0.04 micron sterile-filtration stages, engineered for organ-on-a-chip (OoC), tissue-on-a-chip (ToC), and lab-on-a-chip microfluidic cell culture media applications by Diagnocine.

Validated Cell Types & Applications

Where IMDM is the medium of record

IMDM's superior nutrient capacity led to rapid adoption across many demanding cell types where classical media could not sustain exponential growth.

Hematopoietic

Hematopoietic progenitor cells

A gold-standard basis for bone marrow cells, splenic lymphocytes, B-cell precursors and erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-E/BFU-E), including erythrocyte progenitor cells.

Bone marrowCFU-EBFU-E

Antibody Production

Hybridoma culture and monoclonal antibodies

Widely used to maximize hybridoma growth yields and antibody secretion; a default choice for hybridoma antibody production.

HybridomamAb

Immunology

T and B lymphocytes

Supports high-density activation and blastogenesis of primary human and murine T and B cells after mitogen stimulation, including mouse B lymphocytes.

T cellsB cellsLPS-reactive

High Density

Suspension and adherent lines

Supports rapidly proliferating, high-density cultures, including high-density suspension and bioreactor work, plus macrophages.

JurkatCOS-7K-562Macrophage

Stem Cells

Stem cell work

Provides a foundational basis for multi-lineage differentiation protocols for embryonic (ESC) and induced pluripotent (iPSC) stem cells.

ESCiPSC

Serum-Free

Serum-free and chemically defined culture

Engineered for serum-free or serum-reduced, chemically defined conditions, and used as a base solution for unique serum-free media formulations.

AlbuminTransferrinSoybean lipid

Practical Considerations

Working with IMDM in the laboratory

Four handling points determine whether an IMDM culture performs as Iscove's formulation intends.

science

Serum-free supplementation is required

IMDM is nutrient-rich but contains no lipids and no iron-transport proteins. For true serum-free growth as Iscove intended, complete it with a defined supplement package — typically albumin, a lipid source and transferrin with iron, and in many protocols insulin and selenium (selenium is already present in the base). Transferrin matters specifically because the base contains no added iron.

monitoring

High-glucose management

At 4500 mg/L glucose, cells metabolize rapidly and generate lactic acid. Even with 25 mM HEPES and bicarbonate, monitor phenol-red color shifts and adjust feeding schedules in high-density cultures.

air

Buffering and CO₂

The complete, bicarbonate-containing medium is intended for 5–10% CO₂. Added HEPES improves buffering at seeding and during brief handling outside the incubator, but does not eliminate the CO₂ requirement of the bicarbonate system.

wb_incandescent

Light sensitivity

HEPES, riboflavin and tryptophan are light-sensitive; store medium in the dark, at 2–8 °C away from bright light.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Selection, formulation and handling questions researchers ask most often about FluxMPS™ IMDM, High Glucose.

IMDM is one of the most nutrient-dense modifications of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium. Compared with DMEM it adds selenium as sodium selenite, additional amino acids and vitamins, sodium pyruvate and a 25 mM HEPES buffer, and it replaces the ferric nitrate of DMEM with potassium nitrate. Because the base therefore contains no added iron, iron is instead delivered by transferrin under serum-free conditions. The vitamin complement is enriched chiefly by biotin and vitamin B₁₂, which standard DMEM lacks, while the amino acid profile adds free L-alanine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid and L-proline directly to the base, sparing rapidly dividing cells the metabolic cost of synthesizing them.

The FluxMPS™ IMDM, High Glucose catalog is organized as two parallel series of eight configurations each. The first series is buffered by sodium bicarbonate alone; the second series carries the canonical 25 mM HEPES of Iscove's formulation in addition to the bicarbonate system. Within each series the same three variables are offered in every combination: L-Glutamine, Sodium Bicarbonate and Phenol Red. Sodium pyruvate is present in all sixteen configurations. Use the supplement filter to check HEPES if your workflow requires the zwitterionic buffer, or leave it unchecked to see the bicarbonate-only series.

Start from the variables your protocol constrains. Select a configuration without L-Glutamine when you intend to substitute a stabilized dipeptide, since glutamine-free versions are offered specifically for that purpose. Select a configuration without sodium bicarbonate when you buffer the medium yourself or add bicarbonate before use. Select a configuration without phenol red for fluorescence and estrogen-sensitive readouts. Select a HEPES-containing configuration when cultures are handled outside the incubator or when pH control at culture initiation matters. Check the supplements you require in the filter above and press Search; every matching configuration is highlighted with its catalog number and product page link.

No. IMDM is nutrient-rich but contains no proteins, no lipids and no iron-transport proteins, so it requires supplementation with serum or with serum-free additives. For true serum-free growth as Iscove intended, complete the medium with a defined supplement package, typically albumin, a lipid source and transferrin with iron, and in many protocols insulin and selenium, noting that selenium is already present in the base as sodium selenite. Transferrin is important specifically because the IMDM base contains no added iron.

Yes. The complete, bicarbonate-containing medium is intended for a 5–10% CO₂ environment. HEPES is a zwitterionic buffer with a pKa of approximately 7.3 at 37 °C, and it improves buffering at seeding and during brief handling outside the incubator, including preventing the initial pH rise that tends to occur when a culture is started. It does not, however, eliminate the CO₂ requirement of the bicarbonate system.

At 4500 mg/L glucose, cells metabolize rapidly and generate lactic acid. Even with 25 mM HEPES and bicarbonate present, monitor phenol-red color shifts and adjust feeding schedules in high-density cultures. Note that the 4500 mg/L of IMDM is identical to that of high-glucose DMEM, its parent medium; the roughly two-fold or greater difference is relative to RPMI-1640 and to low-glucose formulations, not to DMEM. If you have selected a phenol-red-free configuration, plan an alternative pH readout since the visual indicator is absent.

FluxMPS™ media are purified to 0.04 microns, finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available, through a quadruple-stage filtration architecture of two 0.1 micron pre-filtration stages followed by two 0.04 micron sterile-filtration stages. At this level the microscopic particulates and protein aggregates that silently block micro-channels, disrupt laminar flow and generate false biological signals are eliminated before the media reaches the chip. That makes the format well matched to organ-on-chip, tissue-on-chip and lab-on-chip platforms, to long-term automated perfusion running continuously for weeks, and to metabolic tracing where an ultra-pure matrix avoids contaminant interference.

Every configuration is supplied as a 1X liquid in 500 mL and 1000 mL sizes. Store at 2–8 °C, away from bright light; HEPES, riboflavin and tryptophan are light-sensitive, so keep the medium in the dark. The standard format is 1X concentration with 4.5 g/L glucose and a 25 mM HEPES buffer concentration in the HEPES series. Other concentrations, additions of chemicals, compounds, proteins and supplements, a different pH, and further modifications as needed are available on request from support@diagnocine.com.

Bibliography

Verified references

The primary literature and authoritative supplier formulations underlying the descriptions and composition tables on this page.

Iscove NN, Melchers F. Complete replacement of serum by albumin, transferrin, and soybean lipid in cultures of lipopolysaccharide-reactive B lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1978;147(3):923–933. doi:10.1084/jem.147.3.923 (The seminal primary paper; open-access via PMC.)
Guilbert LJ, Iscove NN. Partial replacement of serum by selenite, transferrin, albumin and lecithin in haemopoietic cell cultures. Nature. 1976;263:594–595. doi:10.1038/263594a0 (Precursor study establishing the selenium / transferrin / albumin / lipid basis.)
Review — serum-free media history and IMDM lineage: Use of serum-free media for peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture and the impact on T and B cell readouts. Frontiers in Toxicology, 2024. doi:10.3389/ftox.2024.1462688 (Modern overview placing IMDM among serum-free media and its derivatives such as X-VIVO.)
HiMedia / Diagnocine product technical data sheet — IMDM (AT070, w/ L-glutamine and 25 mM HEPES; AL070A, w/ L-glutamine, 3.024 g/L NaHCO₃ and 25 mM HEPES). Authoritative supplier formulation used for the composition tables above.
ATCC formulation — IMDM (ATCC 30-2005) and Gibco/Thermo Fisher IMDM formulation (Cat. 12440). Independent authoritative component tables; cross-checked here for sodium chloride (4505 mg/L), sodium selenite, and the potassium-nitrate-for-ferric-nitrate substitution.

FluxMPS™ Platform

FluxMPS™ — Precision Cell Culture Media for Microphysiological Systems

Built for the architecture of the future. Not the flask of the past.

Traditional cell culture media were formulated for static well plates and flasks — environments that tolerate impurities, precipitates, and particle loads that would immediately compromise a microfluidic system. FluxMPS™ was designed from the ground up for Organ-on-Chip (OoC), Tissue-on-Chip (ToC), and Lab-on-Chip (LoC) platforms, where the medium itself is part of the instrument.

Purity That Protects Your Platform

FluxMPS™ is purified to 0.04 microns — finer than any ready-to-use cell culture media currently available. At this level, the microscopic particulates and protein aggregates that silently block micro-channels, disrupt laminar flow, and generate false biological signals are eliminated before the media ever reaches your chip.

The result: your platform stays operational, your data stays clean, and your biology drives the result — not your media.

Engineered for Flow, Not Just Growth

The name FluxMPS™ reflects its core design principle. Every component is optimized for consistent, laminar flow performance across:

Complex micro-channel geometries
Capillary-bed and vascular simulations
Long-term automated perfusion studies running continuously for weeks

Zero-clogging performance is not a feature — it is the baseline specification.

Applications & Performance

Application	What FluxMPS™ Delivers
Microfluidics	Stable shear stress; no channel blockage
Metabolic Tracing	Ultra-pure matrix with no contaminant interference
Long-term Perfusion	Consistent formulation stability over weeks of continuous flow
Organ-on-Chip	Optical clarity for real-time imaging and integrated biosensing

Regulatory Foundation

FluxMPS™ is formulated to support FDA-recognized physiological modeling standards, providing a validated, reproducible media foundation for drug discovery, toxicology screening, and translational research. When your downstream data needs to stand up to regulatory scrutiny, your upstream media cannot be an afterthought.

The Bottom Line

Microfluidic platforms are precision instruments. They require precision inputs.

FluxMPS™ is the only ready-to-use cell culture medium engineered specifically to meet that standard — protecting your chip, your cells, and your science.

Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM), High Glucose

Select IMDMHighGlucose