Promoting ethical and reproducible cell culture: implementing animal-free alternatives to teaching in molecular and cell biology.

ABSTRACT: The widespread use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and other animal-derived reagents in cell culture raises ethical concerns and scientific limitations, including batch variability and undefined composition. To address these challenges and promote the adoption of xeno-free, human-relevant methods, we developed a graduate-level laboratory course based on animal-free workflows. The curriculum covers key molecular and cell biology techniques: HeLa cell culture and passaging, transfection, RNA interference (RNAi), quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), dual-luciferase assays, and Western blotting, using reagents selected to exclude animal-derived components. A chemically defined medium (CDM) was optimized for robust HeLa cell growth in the absence of FBS, and recombinant TrypLE was implemented as a substi

SUBMITTER: Nessar A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12521421 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature