Comparison of TAE and TBE Buffers used in Gel Electrophoreis - Advantages & Disadvantages

In molecular biology, TBE and TAE buffers are used for agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

TAE – Tris Acetic acid EDTA.

• Common buffer used in labs for DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. 
• TAE is used at pH 8.0. 
• Generally TAE is Prepared as 50X Stock.

TBE – Tris  Boric Acid EDTA. 

• Common buffer used in labs for DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. 
• TBE is used at pH 8.3. 
• Generally TBE is Prepared as 10X Stock. 

Comparison of TAE Buffer Vs TBE Buffer

Resolution : 

TAE is Good for separating Long DNA Fragments where as TBE is good for separating small / short DNA fragments.


Enzyme Compatibility (Downstream applications like Cloning) :

TAE is the preferred choice if the DNA is used for cloning or other downstream applications. TBE should not be used if the DNA is further used in cloning as the borate is strong inhibitor of many of the enzymes.

Buffering Capacity : 

TAE has low buffering capacity compared to TBE. TBE is stable and has high buffering capacity.

Migration of DNA:

In TAE buffer migration of Linear Double stranded DNA migrates faster. In TBE migration of DNA is slower when compared to the TAE. 

Cost:

When considering cost TAE buffer is inexpensive compared to TBE.