Balanced Salt Solutions

Balanced salt solutions maintain the structural and physiological integrity of cells in vitro. Gibco Balanced Salt Solutions are isotonic buffer systems that help keep mammalian cells within their physiological pH range and maintain high viability during short-term incubations.

A balanced salt solution’s essential function is to maintain pH and osmotic balance as well as provide your cells with water and essential inorganic ions. Gibco Balanced Salt Solutions are available in many different formulations and formats.

Please see below for the common formulation components found in balanced salt solutions and how they may impact your cell culture.

Shop all balanced salt solutions Compare PBS & DPBS Compare HBSS & EBSS

Available in both liquid and powder form, all Gibco balanced salt solutions are manufactured in state-of-the-art cGMP, ISO-certified facilities, maintaining the highest quality and consistency for reproducible results. Regular testing includes osmolality, pH levels, stability, as well as testing against the presence of endotoxins, and bacterial and fungal contamination.

For increased stability, all powdered balanced salt solutions are produced without sodium, and therefore require sodium bicarbonate supplementation, pH adjustment, and filtration at the time of preparation. Please see this protocol for preparing salt solutions from powder concentrates for detailed instructions.

PBS vs DPBS

PBS and DPBS, both of which include sodium chloride and phosphate buffer, are common reagents used in biological research to maintain pH while minimizing osmotic shock in living cells; however, in contrast to PBS, DPBS also includes potassium chloride and may be formulated with or without calcium and magnesium and with or without glucose and pyruvate. Select PBS or DPBS based on your specific application.

Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) and Earle’s balanced salt solution (EBSS) are both isotonic solutions used to maintain osmolality and pH in biological applications. While both HBSS and EBSS include glucose and sodium bicarbonate for short-term maintenance of cells outside of growth medium, EBSS is designed for use under 5% CO₂, whereas HBSS, which is formulated with less sodium bicarbonate, allows for use without CO₂. Select from a variety of formulations specific to your application.

Hanks’ balanced salt solution (HBSS) and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) are two types of salt solutions commonly used for the maintenance of osmolality and pH in cell culture applications. However, the formulations of these two solution types differ. While PBS is a simple solution containing phosphate buffer, HBSS is more complex and includes sodium bicarbonate. Both may be formulated with glucose and pyruvate as well as calcium and magnesium. However, given their differences, application should be carefully considered when selecting the appropriate solution for your cell culture experiments. See above for selection guides by application.