News

Buffering Features

MOPS is a buffer introduced by Good et al. in the 1960s. Its chemical structure contains a morpholine ring. 

With a pKa of 7.20, MOPS is an excellent buffer for many biological systems at near-neutral pH.

MOPS is a zwitterionic amino acid which acts as one of the "Good" buffers.

Applications

MOPS is a buffering agent used in many biological and biochemical applications. This free acid buffer is useful in maintaining pH levels and enzymatic activities.

MOPS is used at 1X for the electrophoresis of RNA as the running buffer to separate RNA samples on agarose and formaldehyde-agarose (denaturing) gels.

MOPS is used for Northern Blots -the hybridization of total RNA or mRNA to a membrane.

In the separation of nucleic acids and proteins by electrophoresis

MOPS is used as a buffer component of charcoal yeast extract medium

Tips

Usage above 20 mM in mammalian cell culture work is not recommended

MOPS can modify lipid interactions

MOPS are partially degraded by autoclave in the presence of glucose

MOPS can be oxidized by hydrogen peroxide, but the oxidation process is very slow

Mops interferes with Lowry protein determination