Recommended for manipulation of mouse embryos at ambient temperature. M2 and M16 Medium are common media for in vitro culture of preimplantation stage embryos. It is a modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution, which is very similar to Whitten′s Medium. M16 contains pyruvate and lactate as energy sources since preimplantation embryos do not utilize glucose efficiently.
M2 Medium is a further modification of M16 that substitutes HEPES buffer in place of some of the bicarbonate. M2 is used for collecting and handling embryos for prolonged periods outside a CO2 incubator.
