Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) were isolated from blastocysts from the inner cell mass of 3.5-day-old embryos (E3.5) and have the potential to generate every cell type found in the body. They must be maintained in an undifferentiated, pluripotent state by culture in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on a feeder layer of mitotically arrested mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) in gelatin-coated flasks. The pluripotency of ES cells is vital to germline transmission of genetically modified primordial germ cells that derive from the ES cells in the P₀ generation.

BiCell-mESC Culture Kit contains media and reagents for all steps of mouse embryonic stem cell culture and maintenance. This kit has been validated for use of mouse ES cell culture and transgenic mouse generation.