Trypsin cleaves cell-surface and extracellular-matrix adhesion proteins that anchor adherent cells to the culture substrate, while EDTA chelates divalent cations (Ca2+/Mg2+) required for cadherin-mediated cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion, synergistically enhancing and accelerating cell detachment compared to trypsin alone. Because residual trypsin activity can damage cell-surface receptors if exposure is prolonged, the reaction is typically neutralized promptly with serum-containing medium or a trypsin inhibitor after cells detach.
Trypsin-EDTA Solution is a ready-to-use cell dissociation reagent combining the serine protease trypsin with the calcium/magnesium-chelating agent EDTA, used routinely to detach adherent mammalian cells from culture vessel surfaces for passaging, harvesting, or downstream analysis.
| Chemical Name | Trypsin-EDTA Solution (0.25% Trypsin / 0.02-0.53 mM EDTA) |
| CAS Number | Trypsin: 9002-07-7 / EDTA: 60-00-4 |
| IUPAC Name | N/A (formulated enzyme-chelator mixture) |
| Molecular Formula | N/A (formulated mixture) |
| Molecular Weight | N/A g/mol |
Standard reagent for routine subculturing/passaging of adherent mammalian cell lines in research and bioprocessing.
Used to detach cells intact for flow cytometry, cell counting, and other single-cell analytical workflows.
Assists in dissociating tissue explants and primary cell cultures into single-cell suspensions.
Used in scale-up cell expansion and harvest steps within GMP cell-therapy manufacturing workflows.
Culture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique and Specialized Applications, Wiley
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