Description
Tris Base
Versatile Biological Buffer Base
GoldBio Tris (Tris Base) is a molecular biology–grade buffer with ≥99% purity, trusted in laboratories worldwide for its reliability in pH control and reproducibility.
Tris (also known as Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, THAM, or Trometamol) is a white crystalline powder widely used in molecular biology, biochemistry, and biochemical engineering as a buffering agent.
Its conjugate acid has a pKa ≈ 8.07 at 25 °C, making it effective over the pH range ~ 7.0 to 9.0. Tris is indispensable in nucleic acid electrophoresis (TAE/TBE/TE), SDS-PAGE protein separation, Tris-buffered saline (TBS/TBST) immunoassays, enzyme activity assays, and CTAB-based DNA extraction for challenging samples. Its chemical stability, low endotoxin levels, and non-hazardous classification make it a safe choice for sensitive applications.
Key Specifications & Identity
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Synonyms / Alternate Names: Tris, THAM, Trometamol
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CAS Number: 77-86-1
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PubChem / Identifier: PubChem CID 6503
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Molecular Formula: C₄H₁₁NO₃
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Molecular Weight: ~121.14 g/mol
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Appearance / Form: White crystalline powder
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Solubility: Highly soluble in water (approx. 50 g/100 mL at 25 °C)
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Melting / Stability: Melting point above ~175–176 °C
Functional Highlights & Advantages
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Buffering Capacity in Physiological Range
With a pKa near 8.1, Tris is ideal for maintaining pH in the 7–9 range, which covers many biological and enzymatic systems.
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Low Cost & Widely Adopted
Tris is a cost-effective buffer base commonly used in preparing TAE, TBE, TE, and SDS-PAGE buffers, as well as buffers for protein biochemistry, nucleic acid work, and general lab reagents.
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Ease of Preparation & Adjustment
Tris base can be dissolved in water and pH adjusted (e.g. with HCl) to the desired pH.
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Widely Compatible with Biological Systems
It is commonly combined with salts (e.g. NaCl) or EDTA to make buffers like TBS (Tris-buffered saline) and TBST (Tris-buffered saline + Tween) used in immunoassays, blotting, and washes.
Common Applications
(Click each for more information)
Nucleic Acid Electrophoresis Buffers (TAE/TBE/TE)
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Purpose: Provide stable pH and ionic strength for consistent DNA and RNA migration during gel electrophoresis.
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How It Works: Tris, combined with acetate or borate and EDTA, buffers at ~pH 8.0 and chelates Mg²⁺ to inhibit nuclease activity, ensuring high-resolution separation.
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Applications: Agarose and polyacrylamide gels for DNA/RNA analysis, cloning workflows, and preparative gel extraction.
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, 454, 44–52.
SDS-PAGE (Laemmli System) for Protein Separation
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Purpose: Resolve denatured proteins by size for downstream detection and characterization.
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How It Works: Tris-HCl defines the pH in stacking and resolving gels, working with SDS to impart uniform negative charge and promote size-dependent migration.
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Applications: Western blotting, proteomics, protein purity analysis, and expression verification.
Laemmli, U. K. (1970). Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature, 227(5259), 680–685.
Tris-Buffered Saline (TBS/TBST) for Immunoassays
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Purpose: Provide a stable pH environment for antibody binding and washing in immunoassays.
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How It Works: Tris maintains pH 7.4–8.0 in isotonic saline solutions; Tween-20 (in TBST) reduces nonspecific binding during washes.
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Applications: Western blot washing, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining.
Hnasko, R. M., & Hnasko, T. S. (2015). The Western blot. In R. Hnasko (Ed.), ELISA: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 1318, pp. 87–96). Humana Press.
Authoritative protocol source describing TBS/TBST as standard wash buffers for protein immunoassays.
General Enzymatic Assay Buffers
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Purpose: Maintain optimal pH for in-vitro enzyme reactions in the 7–9 range.
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How It Works: Tris’s pKa (~8.1) makes it ideal for stabilizing enzymatic activity; buffer choice can influence the activity of metal-dependent enzymes, so careful selection is essential.
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Applications: Kinase, phosphatase, polymerase, and protease assays; biochemical activity characterization.
Forero, N., Liu, C., Sabbah, S. G., Loewen, M. C., & Yang, T. C. (2023). Assay development for metal-dependent enzymes—Influence of reaction buffers on activities and kinetic characteristics. ACS Omega, 8, 40119–40127.
Recent peer-reviewed study showing Tris’s influence on enzymatic kinetics.
CTAB-Based DNA Extraction (Plants and Polysaccharide-Rich Samples)
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Purpose: Enable high-quality DNA isolation from tissues rich in polysaccharides and polyphenols.
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How It Works: Tris buffers the extraction mix at ~pH 8.0, CTAB precipitates polysaccharides, and EDTA chelates divalent cations to protect DNA from degradation.
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Applications: Plant and microbial genomics, molecular marker analysis, sequencing library preparation.
Porebski, S., Bailey, L. G., & Baum, B. R. (1997). Modification of a CTAB DNA extraction protocol for plants containing high polysaccharide and polyphenol components. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 15(1), 8–15.
Suggested Applications & Usage Notes
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Electrophoresis & Blotting
Tris is a core component in buffer systems for agarose gels (TAE) and polyacrylamide gels (Tris-based stacking/resolving buffers).
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Protein / Enzymology Buffers
Frequently used in protein purification, enzyme kinetics, and biochemical assays as a buffer base to maintain pH stability.
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General Laboratory Buffering
Useful whenever a moderately alkaline buffer is required (e.g. in cell lysis, nucleic acid handling, pH control).
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Buffer Formulations (TBS, TBST, TE, etc.)
Mix with NaCl, EDTA, and detergents (e.g. Tween-20) to create widely used buffer systems for washing, binding, and storage.
Handling & Practical Tips
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Be aware that Tris buffer’s pH is temperature sensitive: the pH decreases with increasing temperature (approx. 0.025 pH units per °C above 25 °C) — so buffers should ideally be adjusted at the working temperature.
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Use double-junction or non-silver electrode types for pH measurement, since silver-containing electrodes can be problematic in Tris solutions (Ag–Tris precipitation).
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When preparing stock solutions (e.g. 1 M Tris), dissolve base in partial volume of water, adjust pH (e.g. with HCl), then bring to final volume.
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Tris can weakly interact with metal ions and may inhibit some metal-dependent enzymes, so be cautious when working with metalloenzymes.
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