DNA/RNA Running Buffers

bolt TAE pH 8.0 · TBE pH 8.3 · Agarose and Polyacrylamide Compatible

DNA/RNA Running Buffers

This is a category page, not a product page — pick the chemistry and strength that match your run and click View to open that product page. The chemistry reference, applications, and FAQ follow below.

DNA/RNA Running Buffers — Catalog · 8 Catalog Entries · 4 Products

This page is not a product page — click View on a row to open that product page.

Name	pH	Cat. No.	Size	Product Page
Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer Source names this row without a concentration token; its catalog numbers read 1X, while the live product page is titled [10X]. Confirm the strength before ordering — see note below the table.	8.0	DCP-TAE1X_500 ml	500 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer	8.0	DCP-TAE1X_1000 ml	1000 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [20X]	8.0	DCP-TAE20X_500 ml	500 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [20X]	8.0	DCP-TAE20X_1000 ml	1000 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer	8.3	DCP-TBERB1X_500 ml	500 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer	8.3	DCP-TBERB1X_1000 ml	1000 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer [10X]	8.3	DCP-TBERB10X_500 ml	500 ml	Viewarrow_forward
Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer [10X]	8.3	DCP-TBERB10X_1000 ml	1000 ml	Viewarrow_forward

Not sure which chemistry? Compare TAE and TBE · See applications by product · Read the FAQ

Strength check on the first product. The source names catalog row 1 Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer with no concentration token and gives its catalog numbers as DCP-TAE1X, while the live product page it links to is titled Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [10X]. Both are reproduced here exactly as published and neither has been altered. Confirm the working strength with support@diagnocine.com before ordering.

Category Snapshot

What these buffers are for

DNA/RNA running buffer is an essential component for nucleic acid gel electrophoresis, a technique widely used to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules. These buffers are compatible with both agarose and polyacrylamide gels. EDTA in the buffer helps protect nucleic acids by chelating divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases.

Two chemistries, four products, eight catalog entries. Tris Acetate EDTA at pH 8.0 and Tris Borate EDTA at pH 8.3, each offered ready-to-use and as a concentrate.
Both gel types. The source states compatibility with agarose and with polyacrylamide gels.
EDTA is doing protective work, not just buffering. It chelates divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases.
Every product ships in two sizes. 500 ml and 1000 ml, across all four products.
Appearance. Clear, colorless liquid.
Storage. 4 °C.
Sterility. Filtered 0.1 micron twice and 0.04 micron, in a sterile environment.^[a]

TAE pH 8.0 TBE pH 8.3 RUO

CATEGORY REFERENCE · DNA/RNA RUNNING BUFFERS

The category at a glance — chemistries, strengths, formats, and handling

Products in this category4
Catalog entries (Cat. No.)8
Buffer chemistriesTAE, TBE
Concentrations named in source^[b]1X, 10X, 20X
Tris Acetate EDTA pH8.0
Tris Borate EDTA pH8.3
Fill sizes500 ml, 1000 ml
AppearanceClear, colorless liquid
Storage4 °C
Membrane passes stated^[a]0.1 µm × 2, then 0.04 µm

[a] The source gives no pass count for the 0.04 micron stage, so none has been supplied and no filtration-stage figure is shown on this page. See the filtration section below.
[b] 1X is taken from the catalog numbers (DCP-TAE1X, DCP-TBERB1X); 10X and 20X are carried in the source product names. The 1X reading for the Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer row conflicts with its published product title — see the strength check above.

Why the Running Buffer Matters

Four things this buffer is doing while your gel runs

A nucleic acid running buffer fills the tank, submerges the gel, and works continuously from the first volt to the last. The cards below cover what the source states it does, and the two choices you actually make when ordering.

bolt

It completes the circuit

A DNA/RNA running buffer is an essential component for nucleic acid gel electrophoresis — the technique used to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules. Without a conductive medium in the tank there is no field to migrate in.

shield

EDTA protects the sample

EDTA in the buffer helps protect nucleic acids by chelating divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases. That is a preservation function, distinct from the buffer's conductive and pH roles — and it is why a plain salt solution is not a substitute.

science

pH is specified, not incidental

Tris Acetate EDTA is supplied at pH 8.0 and Tris Borate EDTA at pH 8.3. Slightly basic conditions keep nucleic acids deprotonated and soluble, which is what makes their migration depend on size rather than on charge state.^[3]

grid_on

Both gel formats are covered

These buffers are compatible with both agarose and polyacrylamide gels, so the same tank chemistry carries across a horizontal agarose run and a vertical polyacrylamide one.

compare_arrows

Choice one: acetate or borate

The two chemistries are a genuine trade-off, not a quality tier. Published guidance places TAE with larger fragments and downstream enzymatic compatibility, and TBE with smaller fragments and longer runs.^[1,2] The comparison table below sets both sides out.

science_off

Choice two: ready-to-use or concentrate

Each chemistry is offered at working strength and as a concentrate — 20X for TAE, 10X for TBE. A concentrate costs bench time to dilute but far less shelf and freight volume per litre of finished buffer. Both are stocked in 500 ml and 1000 ml.

The decision this catalog turns on

Match the chemistry to the fragment size and to what happens after the gel, then pick the strength that suits your throughput. If you cut bands out and clone them, acetate is the friendlier ion. If you run long gels of short fragments, borate holds its buffering capacity better. If you pour more than a few gels a week, the concentrate is the format that saves you space rather than time.

8.0 / 8.3

pH as supplied — Tris Acetate EDTA and Tris Borate EDTA respectively

8

catalog entries — 2 chemistries × 2 strengths × 2 fill sizes

Filtration & Handling

What the source states about sterility and storage

The source gives one sterility line, one appearance line, and one storage condition. The stages below reproduce the sterility line exactly as far as it goes — and no further.

1

0.1 µm First pass

First pass through a 0.1 micron membrane, removing bulk particulates carried in from raw materials and dissolution.
2

0.1 µm Second pass

Repeat 0.1 micron pass. The source states this stage is performed twice.
3

0.04 µm Polishing pass

A 0.04 micron polishing pass, performed within the sterile environment in which the buffer is filled. The source does not state how many times this stage is run, so no count is given here.^[a]

Handling as supplied

Appearance is a clear, colorless liquid, and storage is at 4 °C. A visible change from clear and colorless — cloudiness, precipitate, or tint — is worth investigating before the buffer goes into a tank, because anything suspended in a running buffer is in contact with the gel for the whole separation.

4 °C

storage condition stated by the source

0.04 µm

rating of the finest membrane stated by the source

[a] On the filtration wording. The source reads “Filtered 0.1 micron Twice and 0.04 micron in a sterile environment” — the 0.04 micron stage carries no pass count. Rather than assume one, this page states only the passes the source confirms, and no filtration-stage figure is shown. Sibling Diagnocine buffer categories describe the same process as “0.1 micron twice and 0.04 micron once”. If that is also the process here, the pass count can be stated and the matching stage figure added. Flagged for confirmation rather than resolved by inference.

Chemistry Reference

TAE and TBE side by side

Names, pH values, and product assignments are from the source. The two right-hand rows describe published behaviour of the buffer chemistries themselves, cited below, and are not Diagnocine performance claims — confirm against the Certificate of Analysis for a specific lot.

	Tris Acetate EDTA (TAE)	Tris Borate EDTA (TBE)
pH as supplied	8.0	8.3
Anion carrying current	Acetate	Borate
Chelator	EDTA — chelates divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases	EDTA — chelates divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases
Gel compatibility	Agarose and polyacrylamide	Agarose and polyacrylamide
Products in this catalog	Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer (DCP-TAE1X) Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [20X] (DCP-TAE20X)	Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer (DCP-TBERB1X) Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer [10X] (DCP-TBERB10X)
Published fragment-size guidance^[1,2]	Generally used for longer fragments; published thresholds vary between roughly 1 kb and 1.5 kb	Commonly used with smaller fragments, where it provides better separation
Published downstream note^[1]	check_circle Compatible with enzymatic reactions; recommended for preparative gel electrophoresis	Better suited to analytical runs of short fragments

On the fragment-size thresholds. The source does not state a fragment-size range for either chemistry, so the two published rows above are marked as such and cited rather than presented as product specifications. The thresholds differ between authorities — some place the TAE crossover near 1 kb, others near 1.5 kb — which is why a range is given rather than a single number. Size against a ladder, not against a buffer choice. This clarification is an addition beyond the source description.

Applications by Product

Which product for which run

One tab per product. The first bullet in each panel is the source description's own statement of use; the remaining bullets are workflow-level notes drawn from the cited references and can be removed independently.

DCP-TAE1X · pH 8.0 · 500 ml / 1000 ml

Nucleic acid gel electrophoresis to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules, on agarose or polyacrylamide gels
Runs where the band will be excised and taken into a downstream enzymatic step, since acetate is compatible with enzymatic reactions^[1]
Preparative gel electrophoresis^[1]
Occasional or low-volume gel work, where diluting a concentrate is not worth the bench time

DCP-TAE20X · pH 8.0 · 500 ml / 1000 ml

Nucleic acid gel electrophoresis to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules, on agarose or polyacrylamide gels
The same acetate chemistry as above, supplied as a concentrate — one 1000 ml bottle at 20X makes 20 litres of working buffer
Labs pouring gels regularly, where cold-room and freight volume per litre of finished buffer is the constraint
Sites that also use TAE for casting the gel as well as filling the tank

DCP-TBERB1X · pH 8.3 · 500 ml / 1000 ml

Nucleic acid gel electrophoresis to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules, on agarose or polyacrylamide gels
Analytical runs of small fragments, where borate gives better separation^[1]
Polyacrylamide runs of short DNA and RNA species
Long runs, where a stronger buffering capacity is worth having

DCP-TBERB10X · pH 8.3 · 500 ml / 1000 ml

Nucleic acid gel electrophoresis to separate and analyze DNA and RNA molecules, on agarose or polyacrylamide gels
The same borate chemistry as above, supplied as a concentrate — one 1000 ml bottle at 10X makes 10 litres of working buffer
Core facilities and teaching labs running many short-fragment gels
Workflows that keep a single stock and dilute per run rather than stocking working-strength bottles

Ready-to-Use or Concentrate

The second decision in this catalog

Both chemistries are stocked at working strength and as a concentrate. Nothing about the chemistry changes — only how much water you are paying to ship and store.

	Working strength	Concentrate
TAE product	Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer — DCP-TAE1X	Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [20X] — DCP-TAE20X
TBE product	Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer — DCP-TBERB1X	Tris Borate EDTA Running Buffer [10X] — DCP-TBERB10X
Dilution needed before use	cancel None	check_circle Yes — 20-fold (TAE) or 10-fold (TBE)
Working buffer from a 1000 ml bottle	1 litre	20 litres (TAE) or 10 litres (TBE)
Best suited to	Occasional gels; teaching and demonstration; sites without dedicated dilution glassware	Regular or high-throughput gel work; sites where cold storage volume is the constraint
Fill sizes offered	500 ml, 1000 ml	500 ml, 1000 ml
pH, appearance, storage	Identical to the concentrate — pH 8.0 (TAE) or 8.3 (TBE); clear, colorless liquid; 4 °C	Identical to the working strength — pH 8.0 (TAE) or 8.3 (TBE); clear, colorless liquid; 4 °C

Shared across the category. Appearance: clear, colorless liquid. Storage: 4 °C. Sterility: filtered 0.1 micron twice and 0.04 micron, in a sterile environment.^[a] For Research Use Only (RUO) — not intended for clinical, diagnostic, or therapeutic use in humans.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often when a bench protocol meets a purchase order.

Both are stocked because they suit different runs. Published guidance places TAE with longer fragments and with work that continues into an enzymatic step, since acetate is compatible with enzymatic reactions and TAE is recommended for preparative gel electrophoresis. TBE is commonly used with smaller fragments, where it provides better separation. The source itself does not state a fragment-size range for either, so treat the thresholds as guidance and size your bands against a ladder.

EDTA in the buffer helps protect nucleic acids by chelating divalent cations that could otherwise activate nucleases. Many nucleases require divalent metal ions as cofactors, so removing those ions from the running environment removes a route by which your sample could be degraded during the run. It is a preservation role, separate from the buffer's conductive and pH-holding roles.

Both. The source states these buffers are compatible with agarose and with polyacrylamide gels, so the same tank chemistry carries across a horizontal agarose run and a vertical polyacrylamide one. That matters if your lab runs both formats and would rather not stock two separate buffer lines.

Those are the values the source specifies for each chemistry as supplied. Both sit in the slightly basic range that keeps nucleic acids deprotonated and soluble, which is what makes migration depend on fragment size rather than on charge state. The small difference between them reflects the different acid components, acetate versus borate. For the exact molarity of a given lot, check its Certificate of Analysis.

It depends on volume, not on quality — the chemistry, pH, appearance, and storage are the same either way. A 1000 ml bottle of the TAE concentrate at 20X yields 20 litres of working buffer, and the TBE concentrate at 10X yields 10 litres. If you pour gels regularly, that is a large reduction in shelf and cold-storage volume. If you run occasional gels, the ready-to-use bottle saves the dilution step.

Storage is at 4 degrees Celsius, and the appearance as supplied is a clear, colorless liquid. If a bottle arrives or turns cloudy, tinted, or shows precipitate, investigate before using it, because anything suspended in a running buffer stays in contact with the gel for the entire separation. Contact support@diagnocine.com if the appearance does not match the specification.

That conflict is real and is flagged rather than resolved here. The source catalog names the row Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer with catalog numbers DCP-TAE1X_500 ml and DCP-TAE1X_1000 ml, while the live product page it links to is titled Tris Acetate EDTA Buffer [10X]. Catalog numbers and product names are reproduced exactly as published and are not edited on this page. Confirm the working strength with support@diagnocine.com before ordering.

Key References

Sources behind the cited notes

The source description carries no citation list. The entries below support only the statements marked with a superscript above. Where a source publishes no DOI, none is shown — none has been invented.

Thermo Fisher Scientific. Loading dyes and buffers for DNA electrophoresis — technical guidance. — States that TAE is generally used for electrophoresis of longer nucleic acid fragments above 1 kb, is compatible with enzymatic reactions and recommended for preparative gel electrophoresis, while TBE is commonly used with small DNA fragments as it provides better separation below 1 kb.
Additional vendor technical sheets consulted for the TAE fragment-size threshold (bioWORLD, NZYTech) place the crossover nearer 1,500 bp rather than 1 kb. — The discrepancy between published thresholds is the reason a range, not a single figure, is given in the chemistry table.
Thermo Fisher Scientific. Steps in nucleic acid gel electrophoresis — technical guidance. — TAE and TBE both carry a pH close to neutral so that nucleic acids retain their negative charge; the same buffer type is usually used for both the gel and the running buffer to keep pH and ionic strength consistent.
Brody, J. R., & Kern, S. E. (2004). History and principles of conductive media for standard DNA electrophoresis. Analytical Biochemistry, 333(1), 1–13. — Review of how conductive-ion choice governs separation speed, voltage limits, and heat output across Tris-based media. doi:10.1016/j.ab.2004.05.054

Buffer selection support. For help matching a running buffer to a fragment size range, a gel format, or a downstream recovery step — or to confirm the strength of a specific catalog number — contact support@diagnocine.com. Ready to order? Back to the DNA/RNA Running Buffers catalog.

DNA/RNA Running Buffers

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