FBS is harvested from the blood of cattle fetuses as a byproduct of the beef industry. Circulating nucleic acids are DNA and RNA species of unknown oirign which are found in interstitial fluids, both in vitro and in vivo. It is well established that circulating nucleic acids are present in plasma and serum at surprisingly high concentrations1. Developing fetuses are a particularly abundant source of CNAs, as fetal circulating DNA can be readily detected even in the maternal bloodstream2.
If bovine DNA is present in FBS, even in trace amounts, could this interfere with DNA transfections? Have we all been inadvertently transfecting our cells with bovine DNA?
1: http://cna.gene-quantification.info/
2: Urbanova M, Plzak J, Strnad H, Betka J. Circulating nucleic acids as a new diagnostic tool. Cell Mol Biol Lett. 2010. 15(2):242-59.
In theory fetal bovine serum should not contain DNA. But if you read the tests usually performed on fetal bovine serum before it is commercially available, you'll discover that it is not tested for DNA. (https://www.labome.com/method/Fetal-Bovine-Serum.html)
The way it is prepared, may allow for small amounts of DNA remaining in the final product.
Based on my experience, you are very likely to find bovine DNA in there.
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