PBS

4 4.6

A salt water solution used in labs to keep cells stable

noun

Specialized

: solución salina tamponada con fosfato

Researchers diluted the protein sample in PBS before conducting the assay.
phosphate-buffered PBS
buffered PBS
phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)

Examples

Sections were rinsed in PBS one final time and then cover-slipped using DAPI.

Academic text (2015)
The PFA solution was then exchanged for 30% sucrose in PBS, in which brains were immersed until they sank.

Academic text (2017)
HUVECs were washed with PBS and seeded at 1.5 x 10^4 cells/well in the presence of conditioned media.

Academic text (2015)
In our study, 400 mg tablets of imatinib mesylate were dissolved in PBS and administered systemically.

Academic text (2012)
Briefly, the fixed cells were permeabilized by a 3-minute exposure, on ice, to PBS containing 0.3% Triton X-100.

Academic text (2012)
The cells were washed with PBS to maintain a constant pH during the experiment.
For accurate results, make sure to prepare your reagents using PBS as a buffer solution.

Synonyms

phosphate buffer solution

vsPBS

Specialized

1 5.6

A liquid that keeps the acid level steady with phosphate

is a specific salt solution used mainly in biological research to keep pH steady

Surface Forms

PBS singular

PBSs plural

Morphology

PBS = P + B + S

An initialism: the letters are initials of technical words and do not transparently convey meaning to typical learners.

Etymology

PBS stands for phosphate-buffered saline, a name made from the first letters of those three words. A helpful way to remember it is that phosphate is a kind of salt, saline means 'salt water', and buffered means 'keeps pH steady', so PBS is a gentle salt solution that keeps cells and samples stable in the lab.