What is TE (Tris-EDTA) buffer?

TE (Tris-EDTA) buffer is widely used as a storage or dilution buffer solution in molecular biology, especially in procedures involving DNA, RNA or cDNA. The primary function of the Tris-EDTA buffer is to solubilize nucleic acids while protecting them from enzymatic lysis. TE is an abbreviation of the components that make up the buffer solution. ‘T’ stands for Tris, a pH buffer that is used in many laboratory processes to maintain the pH of a solution. ‘E’ stands for EDTA, or ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, a divalent metal ion chelating ion. In DNA or RNA extraction procedures, EDTA reduces the activities of nucleases that digest the nucleic acids. This protects the DNA and RNA from degradation.