The present invention relates generally to nutritive medium, medium supplement, media subgroup and buffer formulations. Specifically, powdered nutritive medium, supplement, subgroup formulations, cell culture media comprising all of the necessary nutritive factors for in vitro cell cultivation, buffer formulations that produce particular ionic and pH conditions upon reconstitution with a solvent are provided. Particularly, methods of production of these media, supplement, subgroup, buffer formulations and kits, and methods for the cultivation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells using these dry powdered nutritive media, supplement, subgroup and buffer formulations are provided. Methods of producing sterile, powdered media or supplement (e.g., powdered FBS, powdered transferrin, powdered insulin, powdered organ extracts, powdered growth factors), media subgroup and buffer formulations by gamma irradiation are provided. Methods for producing dry cell powders, comprising spray-drying a cell suspension, and cells, media, media supplement, media subgroup and buffer powders produced by these methods are provided.