Life Science Buffers

Life Science Buffers
Balanced salt solutions and powders used for molecular, protein, nucleic acid, and cell biology applications including cell culture, electrophoresis, ELISA, and chromatography processes; available in a variety of formulations and grades.
Buffer solutions serve to keep pH (acidity or alkalinity) nearly constant in a variety of chemical and biological applications. For example, a bicarbonate buffer helps maintain the pH of blood, a buffered saline maintains cellular contents at a consistent pH level, and buffers help maintain a narrow pH range for enzymes to function correctly.
Most biological samples used in research are kept at a pH of about 7.4. Common biological buffers used for tissue culture include Dulbeccos phosphate buffered saline (PBS), Tris base, HEPES, MOPS, PIPES, and other formulations developed for specific cell lines or applications. Most buffers used in cell culture are also DNase-, RNase-, and protease-free.
The choice of buffer for a particular biological reaction or site depends on several factors:
- Temperature
- Desired or target pH
- Buffer toxicity (to the system)
- Buffer interactions with other system components
- (1)
- (1)
- (106)
- (5)
- (58)
- (1)
- (2)
- (1)
- (5)
- (3)
- (2)
- (1)
- (1)
- (2)
- (109)
- (1)
- (126)
- (1)
- (1)
- (3)
- (2)
- (1)
- (9)
- (1)
- (1)
- (20)
- (1)
- (5)
- (14)
- (4)
- (1)
- (8)
- (40)
- (3)
- (8)
- (31)
- (176)
- (1)
- (26)
- (2)
- (3)
- (1)
- (12)
- (21)
- (1)
- (10)
- (7)
- (73)
- (137)
- (1)
- (4)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (1)
- (89)
- (3)
- (3)
- (3)
- (7)
- (3)
- (5)
- (597)
- (5)
- (4)
- (4)
- (68)
- (30)
- (13)
- (25)
- (1)
- (8)
- (1)
- (4)
- (133)
- (7)
- (1)
- (6)
- (18)
- (31)
- (2)
- (36)
- (19)
- (24)
- (2)
- (2)
- (8)
- (5)
- (14)
- (16)
- (55)
- (8)
- (46)
- (4)
- (3)
- (15)
- (8)
- (4)
- (2)
- (3)
- (4)
- (5)
- (8)
- (68)
- (4)
- (3)
- (4)
- (6)
- (7)
- (11)
- (3)
- (12)
- (4)
- (4)
- (12)
- (37)
- (2)
- (3)
- (1)
- (4)
- (2)
- (1)
- (3)
- (3)
- (3)
- (6)
- (3)
- (4)
- (1)
- (5)
- (6)
- (1)
- (4)
- (1)
- (1)
- (2)
- (6)
- (1)
- (1)
- (12)
- (2)
- (3)
- (2)
- (2)
- (2)
- (3)
- (7)
- (1)
- (2)
- (4)
- (2)
- (2)
- (1)
- (3)
- (2)
- (3)
- (3)
- (1)
- (2)
- (1)
- (3)
- (3)
- (3)
- (15)
- (4)
- (1)
- (4)
- (3)
- (2)
- (2)
- (2)
- (4)
- (2)
- (1)
- (5)
- (12)
- (22)
- (43)
- (2)
- (9)
- (7)
- (1)
- (54)
- (7)
- (6)
- (5)
- (27)
- (15)
- (57)
- (1)
- (14)
- (2)
- (3)
- (1)
- (13)
- (1)
- (51)
- (3)
- (9)
- (1)
- (1)
- (4)
- (1)
- (1)
- (3)
- (1)
- (29)
- (6)
- (4)
- (2)
- (2)
- (29)
- (3)
- (15)
- (4)
- (1)
- (6)
- (109)
- (1)
- (156)
- (2)
- (3)
- (6)
- (16)
- (81)
- (2)
- (49)
- (3)
- (3)
- (23)
- (2)
- (17)
- (3)
- (5)
- (2)
- (5)
- (21)
- (2)

Thermo Scientific™ Pierce™ Concentrated Buffer Stocks (10X and 20X)
Save time using Pierce Concentrated Buffer stock solutions (10X and 20X) with simple dilutions to expedite your experiment without sacrificing quality or consistency.

Invitrogen™ NuPAGE™ MES SDS Running Buffer (20X)
Made with high-purity reagents and are strictly quality controlled

Formulation | 1X: 50 mM MES, 50 mM Tris Base, 0.1% SDS, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.3 |
---|---|
Physical Form | Liquid |
pH | 7.3 |
Chemical Name or Material | Running Buffer |
Concentration | 20X |
Product Line | NuPAGE |
Invitrogen™ Novex™ Tris-Glycine SDS Running Buffer (10X)
Formulated for separation of proteins, in their denatured state, on Novex Tris-Glycine gels

Chemical Name or Material | Running Buffer |
---|---|
Concentration | 10X |
Product Line | Novex |
Invitrogen™ NuPAGE™ MOPS SDS Running Buffer (20X)
Made with high-purity reagents and are strictly quality controlled.

Formulation | 50 mM MOPS, 50 mM Tris Base, 0.1% SDS, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.7, 0.01-0.09% N,N-dimethylformamide |
---|---|
Physical Form | Liquid |
pH | 7.7 |
Chemical Name or Material | Running Buffer |
Recommended Storage | Contents: NuPAGE™ MOPS SDS Running Buffer (20X) Storage: +4°C to 25°C |
Concentration | 20X |
Product Line | NuPAGE |
Thermo Scientific™ Dry-blend Buffered Packs
Our quality control ensures that every pack of dry-blend buffers yields consistent solutions without weighing or pH adjustment. Simply empty contents of one foil envelope pack into a beaker, add appropriate solvents, and stir to dissolve.

Form | Powder |
---|---|
Product Line | BupH™ |
Invitrogen™ PBS (Phosphate-Buffered Saline) Tablets
Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) is a balanced salt formulation used for a variety of cellular applications.

Thermo Scientific Chemicals TRIS-buffered saline (TBS, 20X) pH 7.4
CAS: 77-86-1 Molecular Formula: C4H11NO3 Molecular Weight (g/mol): 121.136 MDL Number: MFCD00132476 InChI Key: LENZDBCJOHFCAS-UHFFFAOYSA-N PubChem CID: 6503 ChEBI: CHEBI:9754 IUPAC Name: 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol SMILES: C(C(CO)(CO)N)O

PubChem CID | 6503 |
---|---|
CAS | 77-86-1 |
Molecular Weight (g/mol) | 121.136 |
ChEBI | CHEBI:9754 |
MDL Number | MFCD00132476 |
SMILES | C(C(CO)(CO)N)O |
IUPAC Name | 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol |
InChI Key | LENZDBCJOHFCAS-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
Molecular Formula | C4H11NO3 |
Invitrogen™ Novex™ Tricine SDS Sample Buffer (2X)
Use with Novex Tricine Gels

Thermo Scientific Chemicals HEPES, 1.0M buffer soln., pH 8.0
CAS: 7365-45-9 Molecular Formula: C8H18N2O4S Molecular Weight (g/mol): 238.30 MDL Number: MFCD00006158 InChI Key: JKMHFZQWWAIEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N PubChem CID: 23831 ChEBI: CHEBI:42334 IUPAC Name: 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethanesulfonic acid SMILES: OCCN1CCN(CCS(O)(=O)=O)CC1

PubChem CID | 23831 |
---|---|
CAS | 7365-45-9 |
Molecular Weight (g/mol) | 238.30 |
ChEBI | CHEBI:42334 |
MDL Number | MFCD00006158 |
SMILES | OCCN1CCN(CCS(O)(=O)=O)CC1 |
IUPAC Name | 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazin-1-yl]ethanesulfonic acid |
InChI Key | JKMHFZQWWAIEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
Molecular Formula | C8H18N2O4S |
Gibco™ ACK Lysing Buffer
Greener Choice Product
This product offers one or more environmental benefits itemized in the U.S. FTC “Green Guides.”
Learn More About the Greener Choice Program

This product offers one or more environmental benefits itemized in the U.S. FTC “Green Guides.”
Learn More About the Greener Choice Program
Used for the lysis of red blood cells in samples containing white blood cells, such as EDTA-treated whole blood, buffy coats, and bone marrow
Medicago Phosphate Buffered Saline Tablets, pH 7.4
Specifically developed for immunological and microbiological laboratories. Medicago Phosphate Buffered Saline Tablets, pH 7.4 are provided as pre-weighed tablets with a final volume of 500 or 1000ml per tablet.

Content And Storage | 25°C |
---|---|
Form | Tablet |
Color | White |
pH | 7.4 |
Grade | Analytical Grade |
For Use With (Application) | Immunoassays, tissue and cell culture procedures, immuno-histochemical procedures, microbiological procedures, and sample dilution |
Invitrogen™ 20X Bolt™ MES SDS Running Buffer
Optimized for use with Bolt™ Bis-Tris Plus gels, and are available in a variety of formats
For Use With (Equipment) | Bolt |
---|---|
Concentration | 20X |
Product Line | Bolt |
Fisher Bioreagents PBS, Phosphate Buffered Saline, 10X Solution, Fisher BioReagents™
Commonly used buffer
Content And Storage | Room temperature |
---|---|
Form | Liquid |
Invitrogen™ PBS - Phosphate-Buffered Saline (10X) pH 7.4, RNase-free
PBS (phosphate buffered saline) is a pH-adjusted blend of ultrapure-grade phosphate buffers and saline solutions.
Shipping Condition | Room Temperature |
---|---|
Dilution | 10 X |
Form | Liquid |
Product Type | Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) |
pH | 7.4 |
Product Line | Ambion™ |
Corning™ Phosphate Buffered Saline, 1X
SureTRACE
Supports traceability with guaranteed access to certificates and proactive change notifications.
Learn More

Supports traceability with guaranteed access to certificates and proactive change notifications.
Learn More
Used alone or in combination with other agents for washing tissues and cells.