The 9 best biological buffers for electrophoresis

Daniel Maia
HOPAXFC
Published in
4 min readOct 8, 2019

forward from: http://www.hopaxfc.com/en

Biological buffers are an essential part of electrophoresis techniques. They are usually added to solutions in order to make the pH stable while a current is carried through the sample. Additionally, buffers provide the ions necessary for electrophoretic migration.

The ideal buffer for electrophoresis depends on the isoelectric point (the pH at which a particular molecule carries no net electrical charge) of the sample being analyzed.

Although pre-made buffer solutions for electrophoresis are available in the market (especially Tris based buffers — TAE, TBE, etc), it is possible to make your own solutions using some of Hopax’s biological buffers.

We created a list of Hopax’s buffers often used in electrophoresis and added links to some academic references to help you choosing the best option for your research.

1 — Tris Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis (TAE or TBE solutions)
Useful pH range: 7.5–9.0
pKa (25°C): 7.8–8.2
Molecular weight: 121.14
Specifications / Price: Click here
Useful references:

  • Sanderson, B. A., Araki N., Lilley J. L., Guerrero G., & Lewis L. K. (2014). Modification of gel architecture and TBE/TAE buffer composition to minimize heating during agarose gel electrophoresis. Analytical Biochemistry, Volume 454, Pages 44–52. Available in https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000326971400092X
  • Booker, C. J., Sun, S., Woolsey, S., Mejia, J. S., & Yeung K. K. C. (2011). Removal of sample background buffering ions and myoglobin enrichment via a pH junction created by discontinuous buffers in capillary electrophoresis. Journal of Chromatography A, Volume 1218, Issue 33, Pages 5705–5711. Available in https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021967311008697

Read more about Hopax Tris

2 — MOPS Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 6.5–7.9
pKa (25°C): 7.0–7.4
Molecular weight: 209.3
Useful reference:

Read more about Hopax MOPS

3 — Bis-Tris Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 5.8–7.2
pKa (25°C): 6.3–6.7
Molecular weight: 209.2
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax Bis-Tris

4 — ACES Buffer

Used in: Capillary electrophoresis / Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 6.1–7.5
pKa (25°C)1: 6.6–7.0
Molecular weight: 182.2
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax ACES

5 — Bicine Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 7.6–9.0
pKa (25°C): 8.1–8.5
Molecular weight: 163.2
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax Bicine

6 — CAPS Buffer

Used in: Capillary electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 9.7–11.1
pKa (25°C): 10.2–10.6
Molecular weight: 221.32
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax CAPS

7 — CAPSO Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 8.9–10.3
pKa (25°C): 9.4–9.8
Molecular weight: 237.32
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax CAPSO

8 — CHES Buffer

Used in: Capillary electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 8.6–10.0
pKa (25°C): 9.3–9.7
Molecular weight: 207.3
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax CHES

9 — Tricine Buffer

Used in: Gel electrophoresis
Useful pH range: 7.4–8.8
pKa (25°C): 8.0–8.3
Molecular weight: 179.2
Useful references:

Read more about Hopax Tricine

Hopax Biological Buffers

Hopax Fine Chemicals is among the largest manufacturers of biological buffers in the world. Our products are shipped daily to top research centers and biotech companies in Europe, America and Asia.

What we offer:

  • 30 buffers straight from our manufacturing sites
  • Small and bulk packages (from grams to tons)
  • International quality standards
  • Worldwide shipping to your door
  • Assistance with shipping
  • After-sales service with English speaking staff

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