... In fact, you can see the "E" in "TBE" on the label of the bottle to the left of the flask in the photo. The "T" stands for Tris, a chemical which helps maintain a consistent pH of the solution. The "E" stands for EDTA, which itself is another anacronym. EDTA chelates (gobbles up) divalent cations like magnesium. This is important because most nucleases require divalent cations for activity, and you certainly wouldn't want any stray nucleases degrading your sample while it's running through the gel, would you? Finally, the "B" or "A" stand for Boric acid or Acetic acid, which provide the proper ion concentration for the buffer." 2 Gel Electrophoresis- "A method that separates macromolecules-either nucleic acids or proteins-on the basis of size, electric charge, and other physical properties. Gel electrophoresis refers to the technique in which molecules are forced across a span of gel, motivated by an electrical ...

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