National Diagnostics 5X TBE Buffer: High-Stability Formulation for Precision Electrophoresis
National Diagnostics 5X TBE Buffer is a premium-quality, pre-mixed concentrate designed to provide superior resolution in the separation of nucleic acids. While TBE (Tris-Borate-EDTA) is the industry standard for analysing smaller DNA fragments and maintaining structural integrity during extended high-voltage runs, traditional 10X concentrates are prone to precipitation over time. This 5X formulation offers the perfect balance of high concentration and long-term stability, eliminating the frustration of recrystallisation while saving valuable bench space.
Manufactured under strict ISO quality standards, this buffer utilises 18 MegOhm ultra-pure water and undergoes 0.2-micron filtration to ensure it is completely free of particulate matter and nucleases (RNase and DNase). The high ionic strength of the TBE formulation ensures a high buffering capacity, preventing pH changes that can lead to band distortion or “smiling” during electrophoresis. It is the ideal choice for polyacrylamide gels, DNA sequencing, and high-resolution agarose gel electrophoresis.
Key Benefits:
- Precipitation Resistant: Optimised 5X Concentration. Formulated to prevent the salt precipitation often seen in 10X TBE stocks, ensuring the buffer remains in solution and ready for immediate use without warming or stirring.
- High Resolution: Sharper Bands. The specific ionic interaction of borate with the gel matrix creates a tighter sieving environment, resulting in distinct, sharp bands, particularly for fragments smaller than 1.5 kb.
- Ultra-Pure Quality: Nuclease-Free. 0.2µm filtered and prepared with medical-grade reagents to protect sensitive samples from degradation and ensure crystal-clear background for imaging.
- Consistent Reproducibility: Batch-to-Batch Reliability. A commercially prepared standard that removes the variability of lab-mixed reagents, guaranteeing identical migration rates across different experiments.
Technical Insights
TBE buffer is preferred over TAE for applications requiring high voltage or extended run times due to its higher buffering capacity. In a 5X concentration, the risk of borate complex precipitation is significantly minimised compared to 10X solutions, providing a more robust shelf-life. The borate ions in the buffer interact with the cis-diols of the ribose or deoxyribose sugars, as well as the agarose or acrylamide matrix. This interaction increases the effective size of the DNA slightly and alters the gel pore size, improving the separation of small molecular weight species.
This buffer is supplied as a liquid concentrate. For standard electrophoresis, it is simply diluted 1:5 with distilled or deionised water to create a 1X working solution. This simplicity, combined with the assurance of RNase/DNase-free certification, makes it an essential reagent for critical applications such as PCR analysis and restriction digest mapping.
Specifications
- Concentration: 5X Concentrate (Dilute to 1X or 0.5X working solution)
- Composition (1X): 0.089M Tris Base, 0.089M Boric Acid, 2mM Na2EDTA (pH 8.3)
- Filtration: 0.2 micron membrane filtered
- Stability: Enhanced resistance to precipitation compared to 10X formulations
- Contaminant Control: Certified RNase and DNase free
- Storage: Room temperature
- Application: Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (PAGE), Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, DNA Sequencing