Bicine (cell culture suitable) (CAS 150-25-4)

Bicine, chemically known as N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine, is a zwitterionic biological buffer often used in biochemistry and molecular biology. Its primary role is to maintain stable pH conditions in various types of biological and chemical experiments, particularly those involving cell cultures and biochemical assays. Bicine is most effective in the pH range of 7.6 to 9.0, making it particularly suitable for maintaining alkaline conditions necessary for certain enzymatic and cellular reactions. One of the critical uses of Bicine in research involves its role in buffer systems for protein isolation and purification. It is widely used in the preparation of buffers for electrophoresis and other chromatographic methods, especially those procedures where maintaining enzyme activity is crucial. Bicine′s stability at higher pH levels makes it an ideal choice for applications such as the crystallization of nucleic acids and proteins, where precise pH control is necessary to ensure the correct folding and function of these molecules. Additionally, Bicine has been utilized in the development of buffer systems for the study of enzymes that are active at alkaline pH, such as various DNA polymerases and restriction enzymes, which are integral to genetic engineering and molecular cloning processes. Its ability to maintain a consistent environment without chelating metal ions or inhibiting the activity of these enzymes underpins its utility in sensitive biochemical assays.