What is phosphate-buffered saline or PBS solution?

PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) is an isotonic buffer solution used for biological research purposes. More specifically, PBS’s applications involve washing cells, dilutions, and transportation of tissues. It is a water-based salt solution composed of sodium chloride, disodium hydrogen phosphate, and in some formulations, potassium chloride and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. It is also non-toxic to cells, and the pH PBS maintains is approximately 7.4.