Mineral oil has been used as an overlay in microdrop embryo cultures.

This product is not sterile. Mineral oil is difficult to sterilize. It can only be sterilized by careful filtration of the warmed oil. It is assumed antibiotics will be added to the cell culture medium. Otherwise, Prod. No. M5310 should be used, as it is sterile filtered.

This material is tested as an overlay in microdrop embryo cultures. (All embryo tested materials are tested using mouse embryos.) Typically BCF1 x BDF1 hybrids are used. The oil is primarily used to prevent evaporation of the medium, particiularly when performing embryo manipulations.1 The procedure is as follows: 1-cell (BCF1 X BDF1) embryos were cultured in triplicate microdrops of embryo-tested HTF (Human Tubal Fluid) medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA. For a valid assay, at least 70% of 1-cell stage control embryos must develop to the blastocyst stage within 96 hours. For product release, at least 80% of 1-cell stage test embryos must develop to the blastocyst stage within 96 hours with the tested material.