DPBS is a balanced salt solution (BSS) used for the handling and culturing of mammalian cells. Calcium and magnesium facilitate cell binding and clumping. DPBS without these ions can be used to wash and rinse suspended cells.

Applications: DPBS can be used to provide a buffer system to maintain cell culture media in the physiological pH range of 7.0 to 7.6. DPBS serves as an irrigating, transporting or diluting fluid for mammalian cells, while maintaining cell tonicity and viability for a limited period of time. DPBS is also used as a diluent of fresh red blood cells to study the trapping of red blood cell aggregate, to wash the wells of microtiter plates, and to wash cells during preparation and serial transfer.