Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(5)

Documents

M2933

Sigma-Aldrich

MES hydrate

BioPerformance Certified, suitable for cell culture, ≥99.5%

Synonym(s):

2-Morpholineethanesulfonic acid hydrate, 2-(N-Morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid hydrate, 4-Morpholineethanesulfonic acid

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Empirical Formula (Hill Notation):
C6H13NO4S · xH2O
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
195.24 (anhydrous basis)
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12161700
eCl@ss:
32129211
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.25

Quality Level

grade

BioPerformance Certified
for molecular biology

Assay

≥99.5%

form

crystalline powder

storage condition

dry at room temperature

technique(s)

cell culture | mammalian: suitable
immunofluorescence: suitable
nucleic acid detection: suitable

impurities

endotoxin and Total Aerobic Microbial Count, tested

color

white

useful pH range

5.5-6.7

pKa 

6.1

solubility

water: 335.3 g/L at 20 °C

suitability

suitable for component for culture media
suitable for molecular biology

application(s)

agriculture
diagnostic assay manufacturing
life science and biopharma
sample preparation

foreign activity

DNase, RNase, protease, none detected

SMILES string

O.OS(=O)(=O)CCN1CCOCC1

InChI

1S/C6H13NO4S.H2O/c8-12(9,10)6-3-7-1-4-11-5-2-7;/h1-6H2,(H,8,9,10);1H2

InChI key

MIIIXQJBDGSIKL-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

MES hydrate buffer (2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid monohydrate) is a versatile zwitterionic biological buffer widely utilized in molecular biology and cell culture applications. With a pKa of 6.1, it′s the ideal choice for buffering solutions at physiological pH, ensuring precise and reliable results. This buffer′s high water solubility and minimal metal ion binding make it a top choice for various applications, including molecular biology tasks such as DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. It′s also a key player in cell culture, offering a less toxic alternative to Tris and phosphate buffers.

Beyond these applications, MES hydrate buffer is widely used in regulating pH in plant culture media, reagent solutions, and physiological experiments. It′s the preferred choice for studying the effects of pH on enzymatic reactions and investigating the interactions of proteins and other biomolecules with metal ions. As a Good′s buffer, MES hydrate meets stringent criteria of having a midrange pKa, maximum water solubility, minimal solubility in other solvents, minimal salt effects, stability across different temperatures, chemical and enzymatic stability, minimal absorption in the visible and UV spectral range, and ease of synthesis. Furthermore, it does not form complexes with most metal ions, ensuring reliable outcomes in applications involving metal ions.

Application

MES Hydrate has been used:
  • To suspend cells before autophagic induction studies
  • In the preparation of Murashige and Skoog growth medium for the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings
  • In the conjugation of hybridization probes to beads before PCR amplification
  • To treat fibroblast-derived matrix before conjugation with heparin for use as a vascular endothelial growth factor delivery platform
  • as a wash buffer in a study about molecular biology
  • as a component of culture media

Features and Benefits

  • Suitable for Molecular Biology and Cell Culture
  • Can be used as a Buffer component, for Electrophoresis and Protein separation
  • Tested for Endotoxins and Total Aerobic Microbial Count
  • Free from DNase, NICKase, RNase, and Protease
  • Tested to confirm low levels of heavy metal contamination, ensuring suitability for various applications
  • Effective Buffering from pH 5.5-6.7 (25 °C) with a pKa of 6.1 (25 °C)
  • Highly soluble in water
  • Minimal metal ion binding
  • Less toxic to cells than other buffers such as Tris and phosphate
  • Stable in a wide pH range
  • Low UV absorptivity
  • Minimal reactivity

Preparation Note

A buffer using MES can be prepared by titrating with NaOH to the desired pH. Alternatively, stock solutions of MES and MES sodium salt can be mixed to attain the desired pH. Standard mixing tables using stock solutions to prepare buffers of a given pH have been published. MES is not recommended for buffering at pH 7.4; other buffers should be considered.

Storage and Stability

Solutions are stable at 2-8°C for months. Sterilize by filtration through 0.2uM filters. Autoclaving is not recommended for any sulfonic acid buffer. If buffers must be nuclease-free, treat the water first, and then add the buffer after autoclaving. When MES solutions are autoclaved, they turn yellow (although pH does not change measurably). The identity of the yellow breakdown product is unknown.

Other Notes

For additional information on our range of Biochemicals, please complete this form.

Storage Class Code

11 - Combustible Solids

WGK

WGK 1

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Protocol: An improved high-throughput method for generating tissue samples in 96-well format for plant genotyping (Ice-Cap 2.0).
Plant methods, 3 (1), 8-8 (2007)
Multiplex assay for subtyping avian influenza A viruses by cDNA hybridization and adapter-mediated amplification.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 100 (20), 8809-8818 (2016)
Dawson, R.M.C. et al.
Data for Biochemical Research, 410-410 (1987)
Fibroblast-derived matrix (FDM) as a novel vascular endothelial growth factor delivery platform.
Du, Ping, et al.
J. Controlled Release, 194, 122-129 (2014)
Autophagic or necrotic cell death in the absence of caspase and bcl-2 family members.
Lam, David, et al.
Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 363 (3), 536-541 (2007)

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service