Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kits

Thermo Scientific™

Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kits

Name: Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kits
SKU: A55864
Price: 321.00 USD

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Catalog Number	Description	Concentration	Kit Contents
A55864	Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards	BSA: 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/mL	4 x 1 mL 8-channel tubestrip, prediluted
A65453	Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit, 100 mL	BSA: 2 mg/mL	2 mL vial
23225	Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit, 1000 mL	BSA: 2 mg/mL	10 x 1 mL glass ampules
23227	Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit, 500 mL	BSA: 2 mg/mL	10 x 1 mL glass ampules
A55865	Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards	BSA: 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/mL	2 x 1 mL 8-channel tubestrip, prediluted

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Catalog number A55864

Price (USD)

321.00

Each

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Description:

Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards

Concentration:

BSA: 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/mL

Kit Contents:

4 x 1 mL 8-channel tubestrip, prediluted

Price (USD)

321.00

Each

Add to cart

The Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit is a high-precision, detergent-compatible protein assay for determination of protein concentration. Pierce BCA reagents provide accurate determination of protein concentration with most sample types encountered in protein research. The Pierce BCA assay can be used to assess yields in whole cell lysates, affinity-column fractions, purified proteins samples, as well as to monitor protein contamination in industrial applications. Compared to most dye-binding methods, the BCA assay is affected much less by protein compositional differences, providing greater concentration accuracy.

Kits are available with or without Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, which are a set of seven pre-diluted BSA standards, packaged in a multichannel pipette-friendly tubestrip. The tubestrip includes a single empty tube that enables users to add their own sample buffer for the purpose of blank subtraction.

Kit options are available that include Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, which are a set of seven pre-diluted BSA standards, packaged in a multichannel pipette-friendly tubestrip. The tubestrip includes a single empty tube that enables users to add their own sample buffer for the purpose of blank subtraction.

Features of the BCA Protein Assay Kit include:

Colorimetric—estimate visually or measure with a standard spectrophotometer or plate reader at 562 nm
Accurate—exhibits half the protein-to-protein variation observed with dye-binding methods (Bradford)
Compatible—unaffected by typical concentrations of most ionic and non-ionic detergents
Short assay time—30-min incubation; much easier and four times faster than classical Lowry methods
Wide assay range—linear working range for BSA of 20 to 2000 μg/mL
Sensitive—detect down to 5 μg/mL with enhanced protocol
No more serial dilutions—kit options include Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards which eliminate the need to perform serial dilutions when generating a standard curve

How the assay works

The BCA Protein Assay combines the well-known reduction of Cu²⁺ to Cu¹⁺ by protein in an alkaline medium with the highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of the cuprous cation (Cu¹⁺) by bicinchoninic acid (BCA). The first step is the chelation of copper with protein in an alkaline environment to form a light blue complex. In this reaction, known as the biuret reaction, peptides containing three or more amino acid residues form a colored chelate complex with cupric ions in an alkaline environment containing sodium potassium tartrate.

In the second step of the color development reaction, BCA reacts with the reduced (cuprous) cation that was formed in step one. The intense purple-colored reaction product results from the chelation of two molecules of BCA with one cuprous ion. The BCA/copper complex is water soluble and exhibits a strong linear absorbance at 562 nm with increasing protein concentrations. The complex is approximately 100 times more sensitive (lower limit of detection) than the pale blue color of the first reaction.

The reaction is strongly influenced by four amino acid residues (cysteine, cystine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) in the amino acid sequence of the protein. However, unlike Coomassie dye-binding methods (i.e., Bradford), the universal peptide backbone also contributes to color formation, helping to minimize variability caused by protein compositional differences.

For Research Use Only.

Specifications

ConcentrationBSA: 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/mL

DescriptionPierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards

AssayBCA Assay

Detection MethodColorimetric

Product LinePierce™

Product TypeProtein Quantitation Assay

SpecificityNot Target-specific

Sufficient For500 Tube Assays or 5000 Microplate Assays

For Use With (Application)Solution-based Detection, Absorbance

For Use With (Equipment)Spectrophotometer, Microplate Reader

Kit Contents4 x 1 mL 8-channel tubestrip, prediluted

Quantity1 Kit (1 L)

Unit SizeEach

Contents & Storage

Sufficient for: 500 tube assays or 5000 microplate assays
• BCA Reagent A, 2 x 500 mL
• BCA Reagent B, 25 mL
• Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards (0.125-2 mg/mL), 4 x 1 mL 8-channel tubestrip
Store at room temperature. Store Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards at 4°C after opening.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How does the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit work?

The Pierce BCA Protein Assay combines the well-known reduction of Cu2+ to Cu1+ by protein in an alkaline medium with the highly sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of the cuprous cation (Cu1+) by bicinchoninic acid (BCA). The first step is the chelation of copper with protein in an alkaline environment to form a light blue complex. In this reaction, known as the biuret reaction, peptides containing three or more amino acid residues form a colored chelate complex with cupric ions in an alkaline environment containing sodium potassium tartrate.

In the second step of the color development reaction, BCA reacts with the reduced (cuprous) cation that was formed in step one. The intense purple-colored reaction product results from the chelation of two molecules of BCA with one cuprous ion. The BCA/copper complex is water soluble and exhibits a strong linear absorbance at 562 nm with increasing protein concentrations. The complex is approximately 100 times more sensitive (lower limit of detection) than the pale blue color of the first reaction.

The reaction is strongly influenced by four amino acid residues (cysteine, cystine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) in the amino acid sequence of the protein. However, unlike Coomassie dye-binding methods (i.e., Bradford), the universal peptide backbone also contributes to color formation, helping to minimize variability caused by protein compositional differences.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Assays and Analysis Support Center.

Can I purchase the Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, Multichannel Pipette Compatible included in the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, Multichannel Pipette Compatible as a standalone item?

Yes, the Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, Multichannel Pipette Compatible, 0.125-2 mg/mL can be purchased separately (Cat. No. A55863).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Assays and Quantitation Support Center.

What is the difference between the Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards that come with the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards and the Pierce Bovine Serum Albumin Standard Ampules, 2 mg/mL (Cat. No. 23209)?

Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards are provided in a convenient 8-channel tubestrip. Each tube contains 1 mL of pre-diluted BSA protein standard at each concentration required for generating a standard curve. In the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards, Multichannel Pipette Compatible (Cat. No. A55864, A55865), the BSA concentrations included are 2000, 1500, 1000, 750, 500, 250, and 125 µg/mL. Each tubestrip contains one empty tube which allows the user to add their own blank solution for the purpose of background correction. This convenient format eliminates the time-consuming dilution step required for other single-concentration protein standard formats like the Pierce Bovine Serum Albumin Standard Ampules, 2 mg/mL (Cat. No. 23209).

Additionally, the tubestrips are compatible with multichannel pipettes which allows the user to easily transfer the full standard curve dilution series (including blank) to a microplate simultaneously. This minimizes pipetting time associated with traditional protein standard preparation or pre-diluted protein standards which are typically packaged in 7 separate vials, requiring the user to open each vial and pipette each standard individually.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Assays and Quantitation Support Center.

How does the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards compare with the original Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit (Cat. No. 23225, 23227)?

The Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards (Cat. No. A55864, A55865) includes the same assay reagents (BCA Protein Assay Reagent A and BCA Protein Assay Reagent B) as the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit (Cat. No. 23225, 23227). The only difference between the two products is the BSA protein standard format. While the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit (Cat. No. 23225, 23227) includes the Pierce Bovine Serum Albumin Standard Ampules, 2 mg/mL (Cat. No. 23209), the Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit with Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards (Cat. No. A55864, A55865) includes BSA protein standards that are pre-diluted and packed in a convenient, multichannel pipette-friendly format. This format provides the following advantages:

-No protein standard dilution step needed
-High-throughput (multichannel pipette compatible)
-Blank tube provided for background correction
-Reduced hands-on assay time
-Reduced chances for pipetting errors

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Assays and Quantitation Support Center.

If we are assaying immunoglobin samples, do you offer bovine gamma globulin (BGG) protein standards in the Dilution-Free format?

We currently do not offer bovine gamma globulin (BGG) protein standards in the same multichannel pipette compatible format as the Pierce Dilution-Free BSA Protein Standards. They are only available as Pierce Bovine Gamma Globulin Standard Ampules, 2 mg/mL (Cat. No. 23212) and Pierce Bovine Gamma Globulin Standard Pre-Diluted Set (Cat. No. 23213).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Assays and Quantitation Support Center.

View all Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kits FAQs