Electrophoresis buffer
TAE Buffer Recipe
Prepare 50x TAE buffer for agarose gels with Tris base, glacial acetic acid, and EDTA. Includes 1x dilution, example, and lab notes.
1 L 50x TAE stock recipe
- Tris base
- 242 g/L
- Glacial acetic acid
- 57.1 mL/L
- 0.5 M EDTA pH 8.0
- 100 mL/L
Preparation steps
- 1Dissolve Tris base in about 600 mL deionized water.
- 2Add glacial acetic acid carefully, then add 0.5 M EDTA pH 8.0.
- 3Bring to 1 L final volume and mix until uniform.
- 4For 1x TAE, dilute 20 mL of 50x stock into 980 mL water.
Worked example
- To make 500 mL of 1x TAE, combine 10 mL 50x TAE stock with water to 500 mL final volume.
Safety and verification
- Handle glacial acetic acid in appropriate PPE and ventilation according to your lab rules.
- Do not use exhausted running buffer; old TAE can alter migration and band shape.
Common mistakes
- Using 50x stock directly in a gel box.
- Measuring 980 mL water plus 20 mL stock imprecisely instead of using final volume for careful prep.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make 1x TAE from 50x TAE?
Dilute the stock 1:50. For 1 L, use 20 mL 50x TAE and bring to 1 L final volume with water.
TAE or TBE for agarose gels?
TAE is often preferred for DNA recovery and long fragments; TBE has stronger buffering and is common for sharper small-fragment resolution.
Can TAE be reused?
Some labs reuse running buffer briefly, but fresh buffer gives more reproducible migration and pH control.
Scale this recipe without spreadsheet drift
Open LabTools for unit-aware solution prep, buffer presets, and protocol-style output.