When should phenol red–free basal media be used for cell culture?
Phenol red is commonly used as a pH indicator in cell culture media. However, it has been shown to exhibit weak estrogen‑like (estrogenic) activity.
Use cases for phenol red–free media
Phenol red–free basal media are therefore recommended when:
In addition, phenol red can interfere with analytical readouts, especially:
Use cases for phenol red–free media
Phenol red–free basal media are therefore recommended when:
- studying steroid hormone action, particularly estrogen signaling
- working with estrogen‑responsive cells
In addition, phenol red can interfere with analytical readouts, especially:
- colorimetric assays
- measurements where optical background or absorbance may affect data quality
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