Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is a PBS Solution?
- Why Use PBS Instead of Saline?
- How Do You Make PBS Solution?
- What Does PBS Solution Mean?
- PBS Solution Composition
- IBI Quality PBS Solutions
Introduction
Phosphate-buffered saline, abbreviated simply as PBS, is one of the most universal buffer solutions in biological research. The solution contains sodium chloride and sodium phosphate; also, quite often, potassium chloride and potassium phosphate are added, making PBS capable of imitating the human body with regard to the concentration of ions and the pH value. Therefore, it would turn out to be an ideal buffer solution for keeping cells and tissues in vitro. Areas of application include cell culture, molecular biology, and diagnostics in medicine. This blog will look at what PBS is, why it is preferred over simple saline solutions, and the key roles it plays within the laboratory setting.
What is a PBS Solution?
PBS stands for phosphate-buffered saline and is a salt solution in water, comprising sodium chloride and potassium phosphate. It is one of the buffer solutions whose principal role in biological research is that of maintaining the proper balance of the pH and the osmolarity of cells and tissues.
Why Use PBS Instead of Saline?
The reason for using PBS instead of ordinary saline is that it provides a constant pH. Saline can keep cells isotonic but has no buffering capacity; its pH changes with the conditions of the experiment. PBS contains phosphate buffers which maintain a constant pH, usually at 7.4. This stability is relevant in experiments where pH changes may affect results, as in cell culture, molecular biology applications, or immunoassays.
How Do You Make PBS Solution?
To make a PBS solution, mix the correct quantities of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium phosphate, and potassium phosphate with distilled water. Here is a simple recipe to prepare 1X PBS:
Ingredients:
8 g of NaCl
0.2 g of KCl
1.44 g of Na₂HPO₄ (sodium phosphate dibasic)
0.24 g of KH₂PO₄ (potassium phosphate monobasic)
Distilled water to make up to 1 liter
Instructions:
Mix all the salts in approximately 800 ml of distilled water.
Adjust the pH to 7.4 using HCl or NaOH as appropriate
Once the pH has been adjusted use Distilled Water to bring it to a final volume of 1 liter
Sterilize by autoclaving the solution or by filtration through a 0.22 μm filter.
This will give a 1X PBS solution. To make 10X PBS, simply multiply all the ingredients by 10 and bring the final volume to 1 liter.
What Does PBS Solution Mean?
PBS stands for Phosphate Buffered Saline. The term "solution" refers to a homogeneous mixture of these compounds, which are dissolved in water to form a buffer system that would reproduce the osmolarity and the ion concentrations of the human body. It finds application pretty widely in the culturing of cells, immunohistochemistry, and as the wash buffer in most experimental procedures.
PBS Solution Composition
A standard 1X PBS solution consists of:
NaCl (Sodium Chloride): 137 mM
KCl (Potassium Chloride): 2.7 mM
Na₂HPO₄ (Disodium Phosphate): 10 mM
KH₂PO₄ (Monopotassium Phosphate): 1.8 mM
pH: 7.4
These salts offer a balance that keeps the cells and tissues in an isotonic and pH-balanced state during experiments.
IBI Quality PBS Solutions
1X PBS Solution, Sterile: Ready-to-use PBS solution sterilized and ideal for cell culture, immunohistochemistry, and other sensitive applications.
10X PBS Solution, Concentrate: This is a concentrate of PBS that is diluted to a working 1X solution. That would be quite convenient for labs requiring large volumes of PBS on a routine basis.
It is in nearly all biological research protocols, maintaining pH and osmolarity in experiments. Ready to use solutions, concentrated stocks, special formulation—whatever be your needs, IBI Scientific provides a wide array of high-quality PBS products that can support every one of your needs in research.
Research our complete line of PBS solutions and of all other laboratory products at IBI Scientific, to determine a proper solution for your application.
