10X Tris-Borate-EDTA TBE Buffer

Application Note: This product is a concentrated stock solution and should be diluted appropriately with distilled, deionized water or equivalent to its final working concentration. 10X Tris-Borate EDTA (TBE) consists of 0.9 M Tris-Borate, 0.01 M EDTA at a  pH of 8.3.  Meticulously prepared using ultra pure reagents dissolved in highly polished pharmaceutical grade deionized water.

Synonyms: buffer containing boric acid and EDTA

Background: TBE is often used in procedures involving nucleic acids, the most common being electrophoresis in molecular biology. Tris-acid solutions are effective buffers for slightly basic conditions, which keep DNA deprotonated and soluble in water. EDTA is a chelator of divalent cations, particularly of magnesium (Mg2+). As these ions are necessary co-factors for many enzymes, including contaminant nucleases, the role of the EDTA is to protect the nucleic acids against enzymatic degradation. But since Mg2+ is also a co-factor for many useful DNA-modifying enzymes such as restriction enzymes and DNA polymerases.

Buffer: See application note.

Stabilizer: None