Lesson plan
TSE buffer
TSE or Tris/Saline/EDTA, is a buffer solution containing a mixture of Tris base, Sodium chloride and EDTA. In molecular biology, TSE buffers are often used in procedures involving nucleic acids. Tris-acid solutions are effective buffers for slightly basic conditions, which keep DNA deprotonated and soluble in water. The concentration of Tris (tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane) in the solution is kept near 25 mM. EDTA is a chelator of divalent cations, particularly of magnesium (Mg 2+ ). As these ions are necessary cofactors for many enzymes, including contaminant nucleases, EDTA protects nucleic acids against enzymatic degradation. But since Mg 2+ is also a cofactor for many useful DNA-modifying enzymes such as restriction enzymes and DNA polymerases, its concentration in TSE buffers is generally kept low (typically at around 2.5 mM). Sodium chloride, used as a background electrolyte to maintain a constant ionic strength and osmotic pressure, is generally kept at a concentration of 50 mM.
Article summary
TSE or Tris/Saline/EDTA, is a buffer solution containing a mixture of Tris base, Sodium chloride and EDTA. In molecular biology, TSE buffers are often used in procedures involving nucleic acids. Tris-acid solutions are effective buffers for slightly basic conditions, which keep DNA deprotonated and soluble in water. The concentration of Tris (tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane) in the solution is kept near 25 mM. EDTA is a chelator of divalent cations, particularly of magnesium (Mg 2+ ). As these ions are necessary cofactors for many enzymes, including contaminant nucleases, EDTA protects nucleic acids against enzymatic degradation. But since Mg 2+ is also a cofactor for many useful DNA-modifying enzymes such as restriction enzymes and DNA polymerases, its concentration in TSE buffers is generally kept low (typically at around 2.5 mM). Sodium chloride, used as a background electrolyte to maintain a constant ionic strength and osmotic pressure, is generally kept at a concentration of 50 mM.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.