Description
GoldBio’s Ampicillin Sodium Solution (100 mg/ml) is a sterile, ready-to-use antibiotic ideal for high-throughput cloning, plasmid selection, and recombinant protein expression.
Designed for laboratories where speed, consistency, and sterility are critical, this antibiotic solution ensures effective selection of E. coli carrying ampicillin-resistant plasmids.
It is widely used in molecular cloning, plasmid DNA prep, dual-plasmid systems, and synthetic biology platforms. The 100 mg/ml concentration is optimized for convenience, saving prep time and improving reproducibility. Trusted by molecular biologists, this ampicillin solution provides reliable performance for plasmid maintenance and selection in fast-paced research environments.
GoldBio’s antibiotic solutions are provided ready to use.
Ampicillin sodium is a member of the extended-spectrum β-lactam family and similar in structure to penicillin. It is used in the selection of antibiotic cell hybrids and has a high rate of action against many gram-negative bacterial strains. Ampicillin sodium targets non-ESBL (Extended Spectrum β-lactamase) bacteria including Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species and medically important enteric pathogens such as Shigella and Salmonella. It has been found to be effective against certain β-lactam sensitive VRE or vancomycin resistant Enterococcus species. Resistance to ampicillin is routinely utilized as a selectable marker to confirm successful cell transformation. Ampicillin Sodium is freely soluble in water.
β-lactams inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan cross-links within bacterial cell walls by targeting penicillin-binding proteins or PBPs. Consequently, the bacterial cell wall becomes weak and cytolysis occurs. Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics occurs in the presence of cells containing plasmid encoded extended spectrum β-lactamases or ESBLs.
Common Research Applications
(Click each for more information)
Plasmid Selection in Routine Molecular Cloning
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Purpose: To selectively propagate E. coli colonies transformed with plasmids carrying the β-lactamase (bla) gene.
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How It Works: Ampicillin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin-binding proteins. Transformed cells expressing β-lactamase hydrolyze ampicillin, enabling survival and replication.
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Applications: Blue-white screening, gene cloning, and plasmid propagation with vectors such as pUC19 and pBR322. The pre-sterilized solution allows immediate incorporation into agar plates or broth.
Vieira, J., & Messing, J. (1991). New pUC-derived cloning vectors with different selectable markers and DNA replication origins. Gene, 100(1), 189–194.
Plasmid DNA Preparation for Downstream Applications
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Purpose: To maintain selection pressure during bacterial culture, ensuring retention of plasmids for subsequent DNA extraction.
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How It Works: Ampicillin selectively eliminates non-transformed cells in overnight cultures. Surviving colonies retain plasmids and are harvested for DNA purification.
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Applications: Miniprep, midiprep, and maxiprep workflows used in sequencing, transfection, mutagenesis, and in vitro transcription. The consistent 100 mg/mL solution supports reproducibility across high-throughput formats.
Birnboim, H. C., & Doly, J. (1979). A rapid alkaline extraction procedure for screening recombinant plasmid DNA. Nucleic Acids Research, 7(6), 1513–1523.
Recombinant Protein Expression in E. coli
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Purpose: To ensure plasmid retention during protein expression in bacterial systems, maximizing protein yield and consistency.
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How It Works: Ampicillin prevents plasmid loss during induction with IPTG or auto-induction media by eliminating non-resistant cells.
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Applications: T7 promoter systems (e.g., pET vectors) for expression of His-tagged, GST-tagged, or native recombinant proteins. The sterile solution ensures dosing accuracy and sterility across expression cultures.
Sørensen, H. P., & Mortensen, K. K. (2005). Soluble expression of recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. Microbial Cell Factories, 4, 1.
Synthetic Biology and Modular Cloning Assembly Systems
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Purpose: To maintain synthetic plasmids used in multigene constructs and modular assembly designs.
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How It Works: Ampicillin provides selective pressure for modular backbones containing bla resistance genes, supporting stable propagation of synthetic vectors.
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Applications: BioBrick, MoClo, and Golden Gate assembly systems used in iGEM projects, gene circuit design, and metabolic engineering. The sterile, pre-diluted format supports fast-paced design–build–test cycles.
Weber, E., Engler, C., Gruetzner, R., Werner, S., & Marillonnet, S. (2011). A modular cloning system for standardized assembly of multigene constructs. PLOS ONE, 6(2), e16765.
Co-Transformation and Dual Antibiotic Selection
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Purpose: To simultaneously select for multiple plasmids within the same host using ampicillin alongside a second antibiotic.
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How It Works: Cells transformed with multiple plasmids are selected using dual-antibiotic systems. Ampicillin maintains one plasmid while a second antibiotic (e.g., kanamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline) maintains the other.
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Applications: CRISPR-Cas9 workflows (e.g., separate Cas9 and gRNA vectors), protein complex co-expression, and multi-enzyme biosynthesis pathways. The 100 mg/mL solution enables efficient and reproducible selection in multiplexed systems.
Shetty, R. P., Endy, D., & Knight, T. F. (2008). Engineering BioBrick vectors from BioBrick parts. Journal of Biological Engineering, 2, 5.
Benefits
- Eliminates prep time: No need to weigh or dissolve powder; sterile and ready-to-use for rapid media prep.
- Ensures reproducibility: Consistent concentration across experiments, reducing variability in transformation or expression efficiency.
- Supports high-throughput workflows: Ideal for automated platforms, 96-well transformations, and large-batch cultures.
- Improves plasmid retention: Stable antibiotic pressure ensures plasmid integrity in overnight cultures and during expression.
- Enables complex genetic systems: Compatible with dual-selection and modular vector designs in synthetic biology and CRISPR workflows.
Storage/Handling
Store at -20°C.
Product Specifications
Grade: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY GRADE
Formula: NaC16H18N3O4S
MW: 371.39 g/mol
Storage/Handling: Store at -20°C
PubChem Chemical ID: 23663979
