Differentiation:
Unlike other media used in PSC culture, Essential 6 Medium does not contain bFGF or TGFβ. As such, Essential 6 Medium can support the formation of embryoid bodies. It has also been used as a base for the directed differentiation of various cell types in the endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal lineages (2), including motor neurons (3).

Reprogramming:
Essential 6 Medium allows for defined and feeder-free reprogramming when used with bFGF. The formulation supports somatic cell reprogramming using a variety of methods, including episomal vectors (4) and CytoTune (Sendai virus), and is optimized to help ensure maximum cell health and pluripotency with minimal variability.

Flexibility:
Essential 6 Medium is xeno-free and contains only the essential components needed for stem cell culture, minus bFGF and TGFβ. This provides a basal medium that will maximize cell health and pluripotency while allowing levels of TGFβ and bFGF to be adjusted and additional components to be added to match a given application.