BY-2 Medium – Research Use Only

BY-2 Medium is a biotechnology-grade plant cell culture medium formulation supplied as a powder sufficient to prepare 1 L for research applications involving tobacco BY-2 suspension cell culture, plant molecular biology, plant cell physiology, and biochemical assay workflows. This medium is designed to support laboratory workflows using Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 cells, one of the most widely used model systems in plant cell biology. It is especially useful in research involving plant cell growth, cell cycle studies, intracellular trafficking, transformation workflows, microscopy-based experiments, and plant biotechnology method development.

Scientific Overview

Tobacco BY-2 cells are one of the most established model systems in plant cell biology and are widely used for studies involving cell division, cytoskeletal dynamics, organelle behavior, gene expression, intracellular transport, and plant cellular responses. A properly prepared BY-2 medium is essential for maintaining reproducible suspension culture conditions and supporting consistent laboratory workflows.

In research settings, BY-2 medium is commonly used in plant transformation studies, fluorescence microscopy workflows, protein localization experiments, stress response assays, and plant molecular biology method development. Because BY-2 cells are often used as a highly tractable plant model, this medium is especially relevant for laboratories performing routine subculture, assay optimization, and controlled plant cell-based experimentation.

Applications

• Tobacco BY-2 suspension cell culture workflows
• Plant molecular biology and cell physiology studies
• Plant transformation and expression system research
• Microscopy, intracellular trafficking, and cell cycle studies
• Plant biotechnology and biochemical assay development

Usage & Handling Guidance

Store at 2-8°C as specified. Reconstitute according to the intended plant cell culture protocol and prepare under sterile laboratory conditions appropriate for suspension cell culture work. Researchers should validate medium preparation, supplementation, pH adjustment, and sterilization procedures according to the specific BY-2 workflow being used.

• Preparation: Reconstitute according to the intended BY-2 cell culture protocol
• Handling: Use sterile technique during preparation and use
• Optimization: Adjust workflow conditions according to subculture schedule and experimental design
• Workflow note: Validate performance in the intended plant cell culture system

What You Get

• BY-2 Medium powder sufficient to prepare 1 L
• Biotechnology-grade plant cell culture medium formulation
• Suitable for tobacco BY-2 suspension cell workflows
• Useful in plant biology, microscopy, and molecular research
• For research use only (RUO)

Why Researchers Choose It

• Supports one of the most widely used plant cell model systems
• Useful for plant molecular biology and cell-based assay workflows
• Relevant to microscopy, trafficking, and cell cycle studies
• Powder format supports convenient storage and media preparation
• Suitable for routine culture and controlled plant research applications

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is BY-2 Medium used for?
  It is used to support laboratory culture and maintenance of tobacco BY-2 suspension cells for plant biology and molecular research applications.
• What are BY-2 cells?
  BY-2 cells are a widely used tobacco suspension cell line commonly used as a model system in plant cell biology, microscopy, transformation, and cell physiology studies.
• What kinds of experiments is this medium useful for?
  It is commonly relevant to plant molecular biology, intracellular trafficking, cell cycle analysis, protein localization, and plant biotechnology workflows.
• How is this product supplied?
  This product is supplied as a powder sufficient to prepare 1 liter of medium.
• Is this product intended for agricultural, therapeutic, or diagnostic use?
  No. This product is supplied strictly for research use only and is not intended for agricultural field use, therapeutic use, or diagnostic applications.

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References

• Nagata T, Nemoto Y, Hasezawa S. Tobacco BY-2 cell line as the "HeLa" cell in the cell biology of higher plants. Int Rev Cytol. 1992;132:1-30.
• Nagata T. When I encountered tobacco BY-2 cells! In: Nagata T, Hasezawa S, Inzé D, eds. Tobacco BY-2 Cells. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 53. Springer; 2004:1-5.
• Nagata T, Sakamoto K, Shimizu T. Tobacco BY-2 cells: the present and beyond. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Plant. 2004;40(2):163-166.
• Kumagai-Sano F, Hayashi T, Sano T, Hasezawa S. Cell cycle synchronization of tobacco BY-2 cells. Nat Protoc. 2006;1(6):2621-2627.
• Nagata T. Hidden history of the tobacco BY-2 cell line. J Plant Res. 2023;136(6):781-786.
• Higaki T, Kutsuna N, Okubo E, Sano T, Hasezawa S. Actin microfilaments regulate vacuolar structures and dynamics: dual observation of actin microfilaments and vacuolar membrane in living tobacco BY-2 cells. Plant Cell Physiol. 2006;47(6):839-852.
• Sano T, Higaki T, Oda Y, Hayashi T, Hasezawa S. Appearance of actin microfilament 'twin peaks' in mitosis and their function in cell plate formation, as visualized in tobacco BY-2 cells expressing GFP-fimbrin. Plant J. 2005;44(4):595-605.
• Srba M, Černíková A, Opatrný Z, Fischer L. Practical guidelines for the characterization of tobacco BY-2 cell lines. Biol Plant. 2016;60(1):13-24.
• Nagata T, Kumagai F. Plant cell biology through the window of the highly synchronized tobacco BY-2 cell line. Methods Cell Sci. 1999;21(2-3):123-127.
• Hemmerlin A, et al. A review of tobacco BY-2 cells as an excellent system to study the synthesis and function of sterols and other isoprenoids. Lipids. 2004;39(8):723-735.