MOPS (3-(''N''-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid) is a
buffer introduced in the 1960s, one of the twenty
Good's buffers. It is a structural analog to
MES, and like MES, its structure contains a
morpholine
Morpholine is an organic chemical compound having the chemical formula O( C H2CH2)2 NH. This heterocycle features both amine and ether functional groups. Because of the amine, morpholine is a base; its conjugate acid is called morpholinium. F ...
ring.
HEPES is a similar
pH buffering compound that contains a
piperazine ring. With a
p''K''a of 7.20, MOPS is an excellent buffer for many biological systems at near-neutral pH.
Applications
MOPS is frequently used as a
buffering agent
A buffer solution (more precisely, pH buffer or hydrogen ion buffer) is an aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base, or vice versa. Its pH changes very little when a small amount of strong acid or base is ...
in
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditar ...
and
biochemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology ...
. It has been tested and recommended for
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Usage above 20 mM in mammalian
cell culture work is not recommended. MOPS buffer solutions become discolored (yellow) over time, but reportedly slight discoloration does not significantly affect the buffering characteristics.
See also
*
CAPS
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...
*
HEPPS
*
Tris
Tris, or tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, or known during medical use as tromethamine or THAM, is an organic compound with the formula (HOCH2)3CNH2, one of the twenty Good's buffers. It is extensively used in biochemistry and molecular biology a ...
*
Common buffer compounds used in biology
References
{{reflist
External links
Sigma Aldrich Buffer Calculator- Useful tool to calculate weight, volume, or concentration from molecular weight.
Recipe for MOPS buffer on OpenWetWare
Buffer solutions
Sulfonic acids
4-Morpholinyl compunds