Micropipette Best Practices – Pre-Rinsing Tips & Vertical Storage for Consistent Lab Liquid Handling
Micropipettes are essential laboratory apparatus used in various scientific fields, from molecular biology to analytical chemistry. These precise instruments allow researchers and laboratory professionals to transfer small, accurate volumes of liquids, ensuring precision and reproducibility in experimental outcomes. However, to maintain their accuracy and longevity, it is crucial to follow the best practices for using and storing micropipettes.
An Adjustable Volume Pipette allows precise control over the amount of liquid dispensed, making it a versatile tool in laboratories. With the ability to set specific volumes, it offers flexibility for a range of applications, from simple liquid transfers to complex biochemical assays. This type of pipette ensures accurate and repeatable measurements, essential for experiments that require high precision. Whether used in research, diagnostics, or quality control, an adjustable volume pipette is a fundamental instrument for achieving consistent results.
About Micropipette
A Micropipette is a laboratory device used to handle small volumes of liquids, typically ranging from 0.1 µL to 1000 µL. It operates on the principle of liquid displacement and is primarily used for accurate liquid measurements in biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical research. There are several types of micropipettes, including digital, adjustable, and automatic micropipettes.
The Micropipette Function is based on a piston that draws liquid into a disposable tip. When the plunger is pressed, the liquid is expelled. The instrument is a single-channel or multi-channel device, with single channel micropipettes being the most common in research laboratories.
Pre-Rinsing Tips for Micropipettes
Pre-rinsing is an important step to ensure accurate and consistent liquid handling. This simple process can significantly reduce contamination and ensure the volume dispensed is consistent. Below are essential micropipette tips for pre-rinsing:
Rinse with the Same Liquid: Always pre-rinse the micropipette tip with the liquid you intend to dispense. This step ensures that the tip is properly wetted and that no liquid is retained from previous pipetting. Pre-rinsing is particularly important when working with viscous liquids, reagents, or samples that could affect the accuracy of your results.
Use Proper Technique: Attach the micropipette tip and aspirate the liquid to fill the tip. Dispense the liquid back into the container, and repeat the process at least 3-5 times for consistent results. This ensures the tip is saturated with the liquid, reducing errors from retained air bubbles or previous sample residues.
Avoid Air Bubbles: Always aspirate liquid slowly and steadily to avoid air bubbles, which can lead to inaccuracies in volume measurements. Air bubbles can cause over-aspiration or under-aspiration, which distorts the liquid handling accuracy.
Use Fresh Tips: All new samples should be handled with a fresh tip, particularly when working with hazardous materials or when transferring reagents that require precision. Using a clean tip minimizes cross-contamination and ensures the integrity of your samples.
Why Vertical Storage is Crucial for Micropipettes
Proper Micropipette storage is essential for preserving the accuracy and longevity of your instrument. Storing your micropipette vertically, with the tip facing downward, offers several key benefits:
Prevents Contamination: Storing micropipettes vertically minimizes the risk of contamination. By ensuring the tip does not come into contact with surfaces or other objects, you reduce the chance of cross-contamination between samples or reagents.
Preserves the Plunger Mechanism: When a micropipette is stored horizontally, the plunger mechanism can become stressed, which may affect the precision of liquid handling. Vertical storage ensures that the internal components of the micropipette are not under strain, prolonging the lifespan of the instrument.
Maintains Calibration: Proper storage also helps maintain the micropipette’s calibration. Misalignment of components due to improper storage could lead to inaccurate volume dispensation. Storing the micropipette vertically helps keep the internal parts aligned, ensuring accurate measurements over time.
Prevents Damage to the Tip: Storing the micropipette vertically allows the tip to remain clean and undamaged. Micropipette tips can be fragile and are prone to cracking if stored improperly. By storing the instrument upright, you reduce the likelihood of damage.
Best Practices for Using Micropipettes
To ensure accurate and consistent liquid handling, follow these Micropipette best practices:
Calibrate Regularly: Regular calibration is essential to maintain the accuracy of your lab micropipette. Over time, the calibration of the micropipette can drift due to wear and tear. Calibration ensures your measurements remain precise, especially for critical applications in laboratories and research.
Use the Correct Volume Range: Always choose the correct volume range for your micropipette. Using a micropipette with an inappropriate volume range can lead to inaccuracies in liquid handling. Most micropipettes have a range that is marked on the instrument, so always ensure that the volume you intend to measure falls within that range.
Avoid Over-Pressing the Plunger: When aspirating or dispensing liquid, avoid pressing the plunger past the first stop. Going beyond the first stop can lead to air entering the tip, which compromises the accuracy of the liquid handling.
Keep the Micropipette Clean: Clean your micropipette regularly to ensure it remains in optimal working condition. After each use, wipe the exterior with a clean cloth. Regular maintenance will prevent clogs and preserve the overall lifespan of the micropipette.
Use a Pipette Stand: Using a micropipette machine holder or stand is an easy way to ensure your instrument remains upright when not in use. This helps prevent it from falling or being damaged. Additionally, stands keep the tips clean and ensure you don’t accidentally contaminate the sample.
Micropipette Uses in the Laboratory
Micropipettes are used across various fields, particularly where precision in liquid handling is essential. Below are some of the micropipette uses in laboratory environments:
DNA and RNA Quantification: In molecular biology labs, micropipettes are used to transfer small volumes of samples for PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), gel electrophoresis, and DNA quantification.
Enzyme Reactions: Enzyme assays require precise measurements of liquid volumes. Micropipettes are essential for transferring specific amounts of enzyme preparations, substrates, and buffers.
Cell Culture Media Preparation: In cell biology, micropipettes are used for the preparation and transfer of culture media and reagents.
Chemical Analysis: In chemical laboratories, micropipettes are used for titration and sample preparation, allowing for accurate chemical analysis.
Clinical Diagnostics: Micropipettes are indispensable in diagnostic labs for handling small volumes of biological samples, such as blood or urine, to perform tests or assays.
Conclusion
A Micropipette is a vital laboratory tool, offering precision in handling small liquid volumes. It ensures accurate measurements, making it essential in fields like molecular biology, chemistry, and clinical diagnostics, contributing to reproducible results across various experiments.At Labnics, we provide a wide range of advanced laboratory equipment, including high-quality adjustable volume pipettes. Designed for precision and durability, Labnics pipettes are ideal for both research and clinical applications. Whether you're conducting molecular biology experiments or chemical analysis, Labnics instruments help achieve consistent and accurate results. All the time.
