How do you store beta mercaptoethanol?
Store in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry area that is well ventilated, such as a vented cabinet. Do not store on shelf. Store in a secondary container by itself. Compounds incompatible with Beta Mercaptoethanol are oxidizers, acids, metals, and ignition sources.
How long is beta mercaptoethanol stable?
1 month
No. Beta-Mercaptoethanol (ß-ME) is stable for 1 month, but Buffer RLT itself is stable for at least 9 months at room temperature (15 to 25°C).
How do you store BME?
Store BME in a sealed secondary container in a well-ventilated area. The container must be tightly closed, resealed, and stored upright to avoid leakage. Avoid storing on the floor. Transport toxic liquids in secondary containment, preferably a polyethylene or other non-reactive acid/solvent bottle carrier.
Is beta mercaptoethanol flammable?
Not flammable or combustible. Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide.
Can you freeze beta-mercaptoethanol?
At a previous lab, our beta-mercap was kept on the shelf at RT and we never had an issue with it, at least during the 4 years I worked there. But it is recommended to store at 4°C. For a dilution, definitely store it at 4°C. I’ve read about people freezing it at -20°C, which is fine for long-term storage.
How do you neutralize beta-mercaptoethanol?
BME odor can be neutralized using standard household bleach. Bleach acts as an oxidizer and converts the thiol group of beta mercaptoethanol into a sulfonic acid derivative which eliminates the natural gas odor. Be sure to absorb any excess BME liquid with an inert absorbent prior to odor decontamination with bleach.
How do you neutralize beta mercaptoethanol?
Is beta mercaptoethanol stable in solution?
Gibco® 2-Mercaptoethanol (also known as beta-mercaptoethanol or BME) is a potent reducing agent used in cell culture medium to prevent toxic levels of oxygen radicals. Mercaptoethanol is not stable in solution so most protocols require daily supplementation.
How long does BME last in solution?
If you only need to be using it over the course of 8 days, it should be fine at 4°, and actually I’d be hesitant to store a working aliquot at -20° since you’ll be freeze/thawing it multiple times. Note that the more dilute a sample of BME is, the more quickly it degrades.
Why does BME smell so bad?
Since BME is fairly volatile, EH&S surmised that the lingering odor was related to a small amount that had vaporized; however, the odor was also present down the hallway, approximately 30 feet from the lab. EH&S contacted Facilities Management (FM) to aid in the investigation of the ventilation system in the lab.
How toxic is beta-mercaptoethanol?
At a minimum, double-glove using nitrile laboratory gloves and wear a lab coat and safety glasses when working with BME. If gloves get splashed, change them immediately. If there is a possibility of splashing, wear chemical splash goggles and/or a face shield. ALWAYS work with BME inside a chemical fume hood!
What is the role of beta-mercaptoethanol in SDS PAGE?
BME is suitable for reducing protein disulfide bonds prior to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and is usually included in a sample buffer for SDS-PAGE at a concentration of 5%. Cleaving intermolecular (between subunits) disulfide bonds allows the subunits of a protein to separate independently on SDS-PAGE.