PBS Buffer Vs. Other Buffers: How To Select The Right One For Cell Culture

 In cell culture, the appropriateness of a chosen buffer system becomes critical with respect to how physiological conditions are maintained, enabling successful runs of experiments. The appropriate pH and ionic balance are among crucial factors with respect to the cell's survivability; thus, this role lies in buffers, of which PBS (phosphate buffered saline) buffer is quite the most prevalent one for use. But how is PBS buffer for cell culture different from others, and what should be considered before the right choice is picked?

What is PBS?

The buffer composed of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and phosphate salts makes PBS an isotonic solution. PBS is mainly applied in cell culture to allow the maintenance of a pH of approximately 7.4 which is close to physiologic conditions. Although mostly buffering pH, PBS holds the cells hydrated and relatively stable by maintaining osmotic pressure. Its composition avoids disturbances of cell membranes at best, which makes the substance ideal for washing or transportation of cells during experimentation.

 

Most researchers usually work with it to wash out serum during cell culture by rinsing it or suspension before it gets dissolved. It was also very handy in several laboratories because many labs could work on it with attached cells as well as the suspended cells, but now PBS is not suitable for every experiment so it should know some of the others.

PBS Buffer versus Other Buffers

While PBS is consistently reliable for general purposes, there is sometimes an alternative when working in different experimental conditions. One of these alternatives for PBS involves HEPES, Tris, or bicarbonate buffers. There are all properties that have different utility in different applications and certain types of cells or experiments.

 

●        HEPES Buffer

It resists change in pH and hence resists change of CO2, which often accompany experiments carried out for long periods. Since some cells take time for cell culture away from the incubators HEPES finds application due to resistance towards pH changes that occur with exposure to air. Its cost also makes PBS  preferred hence is unnecessary when carrying a short time study.

 

●        Tris Buffer

Tris is another most commonly used buffer in molecular biology, especially in any DNA and protein-related experiments. It is highly potent in maintaining the stable pH of solutions but might disrupt some cell culture applications based on its chemical reactivity.

 

●        Bicarbonate buffer

They arrive as an ingredient quite commonly added to the mammalian cell culture media. In maintaining the pH balance they depend on CO₂ for their activity, thus making them very suitable for a CO₂ incubator inside. Outside a controlled environment, however, they're not that stable; hence limiting their use.

Use of PBS Buffer for the Cell Culture

It is the preferred agent for all routine procedures in the form of cell wash, transportation of samples, and reagent dilutions. It is a rich application for PBS in the cell culture when one seeks to have cells that may be treated with enzymes where the enzymes are dissociating calcium and magnesium.

Use PBS cell culture to clean up cells to remove calcium and magnesium as they act to inhibit dissociation enzymes in their work. Wash the cells after excess media and serum constituents to remove them. Hold cells while conducting a little handling outside an incubator.

However, if the exposure is to environmental changes over a long term or to controlled pH under CO₂, then other buffers such as HEPES or bicarbonate would be preferred.

Conclusion

The choice of buffer will usually depend on the experiment performed and the specific requirements to maintain cell culture viability in experiments. PBS is also convenient for many everyday uses because it is nontoxic, inexpensive, and provides a physiologically balanced solution for lab routine activities. Its excellent resistance to osmotic stress gives this buffer a firm base for most laboratory studies; other buffers, though are chosen for experiments when working outside of controlled environments and times where specialized pH stabilities or longer periods require extended utilization.

If you are looking for an excellent cell culture media for your research, PurMa Biologics LLC got you covered with their extensive range of cell culture media.

 

Knowing which are the properties and limitations of PBS buffer will help you make decisions in cell culture, thus ideal conditions for your cells and successful experimental outcomes.