Insights

Pipettes Sterilized (Autoclaving) is a sterilization technique in which equipment is sterilized at 121° C for 20 minutes in a high-pressure steam sterilizer (Autoclave Machine) where bacteria are killed by steam at elevated temperature and pressure. This is the most efficient sterilizing approach if you wish to eradicate the pipet or dispenser tip infection.

By heating and sterilizing at 100 °C, it is also helpful in eliminating germs, spores, or pathogens that are difficult to eradicate using standard decontamination procedures. When different microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and so on) infect a microbe sample, the results can be influenced. Pipette and its tips, various research apparatus, and culture medium to be used in tests should be autoclave sterilized to avoid infection and cross-contamination.

Ostwald-Folin pipettes, also known as blood pipettes, are volumetric glass or plastic transfer pipettes that are used to transfer whole blood, serum, and other viscous fluids. The majority of Ostwald-Folin pipettes are used in clinical laboratory testing.

A. Fixed Volume Micropipette
In a fixed volume micropipette, the volume of liquid to be aspirated or dispensed remains fixed. These micropipettes are used when the same volume of liquid is to be dispensed multiple times.

B. Variable Volume Micropipette
This micropipette comes with a specific minimum and maximum volume range. The volume of the liquid to be aspirated or dispensed can be adjusted (within the instrument’s volume range) depending upon the requirement of the user.

Microfluidic pipettes, also known as multifunctional pipettes, are a one-of-a-kind device that can perform a wide range of complicated fluid processing functions, such as mixing, multiplexing, and gradient production. In cellular and sub-cellular level applications such as fluorescence uptake tests, electrophysiological investigations, and chemical stimulation of cell membrane protrusions, the hydrodynamically limited microflow pipette, used in research and academic laboratories, swiftly handles and distributes solutions.

Air Displacement Micropipettes: As the name suggests, the air displacement micropipette usually functions on the principle of air displacement. It has a piston that dispenses and aspirates liquid samples every time the air pockets travel up and down. Air displacement micropipettes are a type of adjustable micropipette that deliver a measured volume of liquid; depending on size, it could be between about 0.1 µl to 1,000 µl (1 ml). These pipettes require disposable tips that come in contact with the fluid.

Positive Displacement Pipettes: These are similar to air displacement pipettes, but are less commonly used and are used to avoid contamination and for volatile or viscous substances at small volumes, such as DNA. The major difference is that the disposable tip is a microsyringe (plastic), composed of a capillary and a piston (movable inner part) which directly displaces the liquid.

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a plate-based assay technique designed for detecting and quantifying peptides, proteins, antibodies, and hormones. They are typically performed in 96-well (or 384-well) polystyrene plates, which will passively bind antibodies and proteins. The binding and immobilization of reagents makes ELISAs simple to design and perform. Having the reactants of the ELISA immobilized to the microplate surface enables easy separation of bound from non-bound material during the assay. This ability to wash away non-specifically bound materials makes the ELISA a powerful tool for measuring specific analytes within a crude preparation.

Selecting a proper storage stand will ensure that your pipettes are safe and organized, reducing clutter in your laboratory and improving your efficiency with ease of usage.

When they are not in use, pipettes should always be stored;

• Upright
• Set to the highest volume setting
• Away from heat and moisture
• With pipette tips removed

Micropipettes are utilized in the laboratory to transfer small quantities of liquid, usually down to 0.1 μL. These are primarily found in labs that undertake activities related to microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, cell culture, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and genetics.

If the tip is not straight, it may result in 10% error in pipetting accuracy (ISO 8655-2). Moreover, if the tip orifice is not accurately centred, the dispensing of the liquid might be affected significantly which will impact the accuracy.

Syringes can be used for pipetting, syringes for general use are available in a variety of sizes and with or without pre-attached needles. With chromatographic analyzers and autosamplers, Gastight syringes are used. Various syringe attachments are available to assist in keeping syringes in good operating order. Sharps disposal containers should be used to safely dispose of used needles.

Based on the mechanism of the piston-shaft spring, Mechanical micropipettes are operated manually. They are great when pipetting a moderate number of samples.

In an electronic pipette, the piston is motor-driven. Using an electronic pipette allows one to dispense precisely how it was programmed due to the motor control that allows the piston movement to be controlled. Also, Electronic micropipettes are available both as single-channel and multi-channel micropipettes. Volume adjustment can be done electronically and the adjusted volume is shown digitally on the digital readout.

When you dispense liquid from your pipette, a coating of liquid is left on the tip, which makes the dispensed volume slightly less than that displayed on the pipette. Pre-wetting the tip before pipetting will help increase accuracy in your results. To pre-wet your tip, draw up the liquid into your pipette and then dispense it back into the original vessel. Here are the tips to pipette accurately, especially small volumes:

https://www.microlit.com/pipetting-small-volumes-8-tips-to-improve-your-technique/

Pipettes are stored upright to avoid any liquid present inside the instrument from running up into the inner walls which can lead to corrosion. It avoids piston lubricant inside the pipette barrel from accumulating on one side only. The liquid may drip out and contaminate the plunger if the pipettes are not stored upright.

Autoclaving is an efficient sterilization method for laboratory instruments. A hot, pressurized and saturated steam is applied to destroy microorganisms and decontaminate e.g. laboratory plastic and glassware. Exposure time and temperature are critical. Moreover, the steam needs to penetrate through the entire load to be efficient. The equipment is generally sterilized at 121° C for 20 minutes in a high-pressure steam sterilizer

To minimize the risk of sample-to-pipette contamination, the following precautions should be followed:

• Always release the pipette’s push button slowly to prevent aerosol formation and uncontrolled liquid splashing within the pipette tip.
• Hold the pipette in a vertical position during pipetting and store the pipette in an upright position. This prevents liquids from running into the pipette body.
• Use filter tips or positive displacement tips to prevent the aerosol transfer from the sample into the pipette body.

While working with small volumes, factors such as environmental temperature and dispensing accuracy are critical to control and manipulate. One need to identify and eliminate all potential sources of error like foams, bubbles, evaporation, etc and review your lab workflow on a regular basis.