- Home
- IVD
- By Technology Types
- By Diseases Types
- By Product Types
- Research
- Resource
- Distributors
- Company
| Product Name | TBE Buffer, 10x Concentrate, Molecular Biology Grade, Nuclease-Free |
| Catalog No. | ATR-B-YJL-0198 |
| Description | 10x concentrated Tris-Borate-EDTA (TBE) buffer for agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA. Formulated with 0.89 M Tris base, 0.89 M boric acid, and 20 mM EDTA (disodium salt, dihydrate) at pH approximately 8.3, this buffer provides high buffering capacity and excellent resolution for nucleic acid separations from <100 bp to >10 kb. TBE has a lower electrical conductivity than TAE buffer, generating less heat during electrophoresis and allowing higher voltages for faster runs, and is the buffer of choice for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of DNA including sequencing gels, SSRs, and small fragment analysis. The 10x concentrate is prepared with ultrapure water, DEPC-treated and autoclaved for nuclease inactivation, and 0.1 um filtered. DNA bands in TBE are sharper than in TAE for fragments <1 kb, making it particularly suitable for analytical and preparative applications requiring high resolution. |
| Intended Use | Electrophoresis buffer for: agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA fragments (100 bp to >10 kb); polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of DNA (sequencing gels, microsatellite/SSR analysis, small fragment resolution, oligonucleotide purification); RNA electrophoresis under denaturing and non-denaturing conditions; electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) on polyacrylamide gels; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE); and preparative DNA fragment purification from gels. |
| Principle / Technology | TBE buffer provides ionic strength for electrophoresis through dissociation of Tris-borate complexes and EDTA. Borate ions have lower mobility than acetate (from TAE), resulting in lower current at a given voltage. EDTA chelates divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+), inhibiting nucleases that require these cofactors, thus protecting nucleic acids from degradation during electrophoresis. The 10x concentrate at pH ~8.3 ensures optimal DNA migration: DNA is negatively charged at this pH and migrates toward the anode; tracking dyes (bromophenol blue, xylene cyanol) migrate predictably against DNA fragment size standards. |
| Detection Method | Dilute 10x TBE 1:10 with ultrapure water to prepare 1x working buffer (89 mM Tris, 89 mM boric acid, 2 mM EDTA, pH ~8.3). For agarose gels: dissolve agarose in 1x TBE, cast gel, and use 1x TBE as running buffer. For polyacrylamide gels: prepare gel solution with 1x TBE, polymerize, and use 1x TBE as running buffer. Typical run conditions: agarose gels at 5-10 V/cm; PAGE gels at 10-30 V/cm. 1x TBE may be reused 2-3 times. |
| Sample Type | DNA or RNA samples prepared in loading buffer; DNA size range: 100 bp to 20 kb (agarose); 5 bp to 2 kb (PAGE). |
| Performance Range / Specifications | 1x working concentration: 89 mM Tris, 89 mM boric acid, 2 mM EDTA, pH 8.3 +/-0.1, conductivity 0.8-1.2 mS/cm at 25 C; buffering capacity: effective for 4-6 gel runs per liter before significant pH drift; nuclease-free: no detectable DNase or RNase activity; DNA resolution in agarose: linear Rf vs log(bp) from 100 bp to 10 kb (R2 >0.98). |
| Sensitivity / LOD | Not applicable — running buffer; buffer performance verified by sharp band resolution of DNA ladder. |
| Specificity | Formulated for Tris-Borate-EDTA electrophoresis; 10x TBE stock is subject to precipitation of EDTA and borate at low temperatures (white precipitate forms below ~10 C). Not to be confused with TAE (Tris-Acetate-EDTA) which has different buffering characteristics and is preferred for larger DNA fragments (>2 kb) and preparative gels. |
| Reaction Conditions / Protocol | Agarose gel: 5-10 V/cm, typical run 45-90 min; PAGE gel: 10-30 V/cm, typical run 1-4 h; TBE-buffered gels run cooler than TAE-buffered gels at equivalent voltage due to lower conductivity. |
| Components / Formulation | 10x TBE Buffer Concentrate (1 L): 0.89 M Tris base (107.8 g/L), 0.89 M boric acid (55.0 g/L), 20 mM EDTA disodium dihydrate (7.44 g/L), pH ~8.3 (not adjusted), DEPC-treated, autoclaved, 0.1 um filtered, nuclease-free certified. |
| Storage Conditions | Store at RT (15-25 C); avoid temperatures below 10 C to prevent precipitation; if precipitate forms, warm to 37 C and mix until dissolved before use; protect from dust and microbial contamination. |
| Shelf Life | 24 months from date of manufacture at RT unopened; after opening, use within 12 months; 1x working solution: 2 months at RT. |
| Package Specifications | 500 mL (makes 5 L 1x), 1 L (makes 10 L 1x), 4 L (makes 40 L 1x). |
| Product Form | Clear, colorless liquid; may develop white precipitate at low temperatures (reversible upon warming). |
| Quality Control | Each lot: pH 8.2-8.4 (25 C); conductivity 0.8-1.2 mS/cm (1x, 25 C); DNase assay: no degradation of lambda DNA (100 ng, 37 C, 16 h); RNase assay: no degradation of 16S/23S rRNA (1 ug, 37 C, 1 h); DNA electrophoresis test: sharp resolution of 100 bp-10 kb ladder in 1% agarose with 1x TBE; sterility: bacterial count <1 CFU/mL; endotoxin <0.05 EU/mL. |
| Key Features | 10x concentrate for convenience and shelf stability; borate-based for high resolution of small fragments; lower conductivity than TAE (less heating); nuclease-free and DEPC-treated; suitable for both agarose and PAGE; 0.1 um sterile filtered. |
| Purity | All components: ACS grade or higher; nuclease-free certified; water: DEPC-treated ultrapure (18.2 MOhm-cm); no detectable DNase, RNase, or protease activity. |
| Concentration | 10x concentrate: 0.89 M Tris, 0.89 M boric acid, 20 mM EDTA; 1x working: 89 mM Tris, 89 mM boric acid, 2 mM EDTA. |
| Activity / Unit Definition | Not applicable — buffer solution. |
| Molecular Weight | Tris base: 121.14 g/mol; boric acid: 61.83 g/mol; EDTA disodium dihydrate: 372.24 g/mol. |
| Source / Origin | Synthetic chemicals (Tris, boric acid, EDTA from chemical synthesis); water: ultrapure deionized, DEPC-treated, autoclaved; no animal-derived components. |
| pH Range / Optimal pH | Optimal pH ~8.3; Tris-borate buffering range pH 7.0-9.0; EDTA effective above pH 6.0 (chelates divalent cations). |
| Shipping Conditions | Ambient temperature. |
| Expiration Date / Stability | 24 months at RT; precipitation at low temperature is reversible — warm to 37 C and mix before use. |
| Regulatory / Compliance | For research use only; not for diagnostic or therapeutic use. |
| Compatibility | Compatible with all standard agarose types (standard melting, low melting point, high gel strength). Compatible with DNA staining dyes: ethidium bromide (0.5 ug/mL in gel and running buffer), SYBR Safe, SYBR Green I, GelRed, GelGreen, and other fluorescent stains. Compatible with gel loading dyes (bromophenol blue, xylene cyanol, orange G). For polyacrylamide gels, compatible with ammonium persulfate and TEMED polymerization. TBE is NOT compatible with enzymatic reactions without purification (borate inhibits many enzymes including T4 DNA ligase, restriction enzymes, and DNA polymerases). DNA purified from TBE gels must be desalted or ethanol-precipitated before enzymatic manipulation. Borate can form complexes with carbohydrates (diols) and nucleotides, interfering with some downstream applications. |
| Recommended Buffer System | 10x TBE: 0.89 M Tris, 0.89 M boric acid, 20 mM EDTA, pH 8.3; 1x: 89 mM Tris, 89 mM boric acid, 2 mM EDTA, pH 8.3. |
| Application Notes / Precautions | Precipitation of 10x TBE at low temperatures is common. If a white precipitate is observed, warm the bottle in a 37-50 C water bath with occasional mixing until the solution is completely clear — do not use the buffer until fully dissolved, as precipitated EDTA will alter the final concentration. If preparing 10x TBE from powder, note that EDTA will not fully dissolve until the pH rises above ~7.5 as Tris base dissolves. The typical order is: add Tris base and EDTA to ~80% final volume water, stir until dissolved, then add boric acid. TBE has approximately half the conductivity of TAE at equal concentration, resulting in lower current and less heating — this allows higher voltages but also results in slower DNA migration at equal voltage settings. For DNA >10 kb, TAE or TBE with reduced EDTA may provide better resolution. For RNA electrophoresis, add 0.5-1 ug/mL ethidium bromide to the sample loading buffer (not the gel) to avoid band distortion. |
| Batch-to-Batch Consistency | pH 8.2-8.4 for every lot; conductivity 0.8-1.2 mS/cm (1x); DNA ladder resolution linearity R2 >0.98; nuclease-free status verified for every lot. |
For research use only, not for clinical use.
|
There is no product in your cart. |
Copyright © 2026 Alta DiagnoTech. All rights reserved.
