Both PBS and DPBS are phosphate‑buffered saline solutions, but DPBS refers to the Dulbecco formulation that is commonly used in mammalian cell culture. DPBS often has a slightly different salt composition and is supplied in variants with or without calcium and magnesium to support specific cell handling steps.

We sell DPBS both with and without calcium and magnesium. Buffers with calcium and magnesium are preferred when washing or handling adherent cells to maintain cell adhesion and viability. Buffers without calcium and magnesium are typically used for cell detachment steps where divalent ions could interfere with enzymatic activity.

A 1X PBS solution is ready to use directly in your experiment at its final working concentration. A 10X PBS solution is a concentrate that must be diluted 1:10 with suitable water or media to obtain a 1X working buffer, which saves storage space and shipping costs.

Most cell culture and protein protocols typically use PBS at pH 7.2-7.4. Unless your method specifies otherwise, PBS pH 7.4 is a reasonable choice for maintaining protein stability or cell integrity. We provide PBS solutions at pHs ranging from 6.0 to 7.9 to cover a wide range of molecular and cellular applications. See our guide for optimal pH to learn more.

PBS with EDTA is commonly used for gentle cell dissociation, prevention of cell clumping, and chelation of divalent cations. It can also help protect certain biomolecules by minimizing metal‑dependent enzymatic activity during sample handling.

Sterile PBS is recommended for any application involving live cells, tissue culture, or sensitive biological samples where contamination must be avoided. For non‑biological rinsing or instrument‑related tasks, non‑sterile PBS may be sufficient, depending on your protocol requirements.