UPM Biomedicals and Nichirei Biosciences have signed an agreement on 1 March 2020 to offer the full range of UPM cell culture products to life sciences researchers in Japan. This agreement will provide the country’s cell biology community with direct access to UPM’s GrowDex® hydrogels for the first time, supporting advanced cell culture and stem cell biology applications.
The GrowDex range of natural hydrogels mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) to support cell growth and differentiation for more consistent, biologically relevant results. This animal-free, ready-to-use system is the perfect complement to Nichirei Biosciences’ existing product portfolio, helping to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies by allowing the formation of 3D cell spheroids/organoids, for example, for personalised medicine, regenerative medicine, organ-on-a-chip models and drug release studies.
Dr. Jane Spencer-Fry, Director at UPM Biomedicals, commented: “Our animal-free cell culture products are ideal for the cutting-edge cell biology research currently being undertaken in Japan. Our collaboration with Nichirei Biosciences will provide customers with access to these innovative products with the full support of a knowledgeable local supplier, helping to further advance their research efforts.”
Masato Takenaga, President of Nichirei Biosciences, added: “We are excited to strengthen our existing product portfolio with UPM’s GrowDex hydrogels. We have an established network in the cell biology community, developed through decades of selling media and animal serum in Japan, where 3D cell culture and organoids research are booming. We believe that these new animal-free, regulatory-friendly products will provide a fresh insight and help lots of researchers.”