Artel's 10 Tips To Improve Your Pipetting Technique

build confidence in your ass see results by using proper pipetting technique pipetting tip number one pre-wet the pipette tip pre-wetting the pipette tip before you begin pipe heading increases the humidity within the tip airspace a humidified airspace to reduce the amount of sample loss due to evaporation evaporation within the tip may cause a significant loss of sample before delivery here's an example of pre-wedding a pipette tip depress the plunger of the pipette to the first stop immerse the tip into the sample and release the plunger to aspirate remove the pipette from the sample and dispense the entire contents of the tip back into the sample container or to waste using the same tip aspirate and dispense in this manner at least three times to properly pre wet the tip the take-home message is to reduce variations in volume delivery pre-wet the pipette tip at least three times to increase humidity in the tip proper pipetting technique helps you ensure confidence in your work so you can trust your results pipetting tip number two work at temperature equilibrium the volume of sample delivered by pipette varies with environmental conditions such as the room temperature of a lab so before use allow liquids and the pipette to équilibre to ambient temperature time needed to equilibrated depend on the starting temperature of the solutions in the amount or the quantity of the liquid in the container the take-home message is work at a uniform temperature to minimize variation and dispense volume allow liquids and equipment to equilibrate to ambient temperature before you begin pipetting just your ass'll results and ensure liquid handling quality in your lab by using proper pipetting technique pipetting tip number three examine the tip before dispensing sample after aspirating a liquid droplets can sometimes be seen on the outside of the pipette tip in this case it may be appropriate to carefully dab the droplets with a lint-free cloth if you decide to remove the extra droplets from the tip exterior it's important to stay clear of the tip opening additionally avoid a full tip wipe because this could cause sample loss due to wicking out of the tip a take-home message is if there are liquid droplets on the outside of the tip wiper dab using a lint-free cloth avoid wiping near the tip over using proper pipetting technique helps you ensure liquid hailing quality so you can trust your assay results pipetting tip number four use standard mode pipetting for most sample transfers use standard multi penning technique when using standard mode depress the plunger to the first stop immerse the tip into the sample and aspirate by releasing the plunger move the pipette to the transfer container and press the plunger to the first stop continue to press the plunger to the second stop to dispense any remaining solution in the tip another pipetting technique is called reverse mode when using reverse mode depress the plunger past the first stop immerse the pipette tip into the sample and release the plunger this will result in more target volume being aspirated than desired move the pipette to the transfer container and depress the plunger back to the first stop delivering the target volume this leaves residual sample on the tip which can then be discarded or returned to the sample container reverse mode may be the method of choice for pipetting viscous or volatile solutions the take-home message is for the best accuracy and precision it is recommended to use standard mode pipetting technique when transferring aqueous solutions knowing how to properly use a pipette will help you obtain better liquid inhaling quality in your lab pipetting tip number 5 pause consistently after aspiration after aspiration the amount of liquid in the tip can bounce slightly when the plunger stops slow even plunger release in a consistent brief pause after aspiration minimizes errors resulting from this phenomenon after releasing the plunger with the tip still in the sample it can be good practice to pause one to two seconds which will give the liquid and the pressure inside the tip time to stabilize a pause step such as this can be especially important when working with viscous solutions but take-home message is slow even plunger release and a consistent one to two second pause after aspiration will allow the liquid to stabilize inside the tip help ensure liquid handling quality in your lab by using proper pipetting technique pipetting tip number six pull the pipette straight out pull the pipette straight out of the container after aspirating sample in other words make sure not to touch the tip on the side of the container as it's being removed this is especially important when pipetting small volumes such as less than 50 microliters surface tensions effects may cause the sample volumes to vary if the pipette is not pulled out vertically and barring the exit angle are touching the tip against the container walls may result in wicking or loss of sample as the tip is removed and this could result in lower target volumes or inconsistent volume transfers the take-home messages during sample aspiration always hold the pipette vertically and avoid touching the sides of the container after sample aspiration pull the pipette straight out of the liquid proper pipetting technique can help you ensure liquid hailing quality in your lab pipetting tip number seven is minimize handling of the pipette and the tip avoid over handling the pipette and tips body heat transferred to the pipette during handling disrupts temperature equilibrium for instance as the pipette heats up the air space inside the tip expands and pushes a liquid out of the tip causing less sample to be delivered avoid this type of error by holding a pipette loosely between each transfer or return the pipette to the stand or set it down between sample deliveries one way to reduce heat transfer is to wear gloves a take-home message is minimizing heat transfer such as by not over handling the pipette and the tips will help reduce errors in volume transfers by using proper pipetting technique can build confidence in your work so you can trust your results pipetting tip number 8 murse the tip to the proper depth when aspirating the pipette tip should not be immersed too deeply into the liquid during sample aspiration immersed the tip 2 to 6 millimeters below the meniscus making sure to stay clear of the container walls and bottom if the tip is inserted too far into the liquid there's a chance that it may cause excess droplets of liquid to cling to the outside of the tip additionally touching the tip against the container walls or bottom may restrict the total sample volume from being aspirated the take-home messages do not immerse the tip too far into the sample by using proper pipetting technique you can help ensure liquid handling quality in your lab pipetting tip number nine is use the correct pipette tip for the pipette being use it's very important to choose the correct tip in most cases manufacturing tips preferred and provide the best seal for more dependable sample delivery mismatching a tip and pipette or using a poor quality tip can result in inadequate seals between the pipette and the tip quality tips are flexible and have thin walls providing an airtight seal and more dependable sample delivery when placing a tip on the pipette do not use excessive force which can cause damage to the pipette nose cone the take-home message is proper tip fit is important to ensure a tight seal between the pipette and the tip and sample loss due to leakage will be minimized using proper pipetting technique helps you build confidence in your work so you can trust your results pipetting tip number 10 use consistent plunger speed and pressure pipettes like all precision instruments give more reproducible results when used with proper technique and when the users paying attention to detail it's important to have constant steady plunger movement during sample aspiration as well as during sample delivery and transfer because inconsistencies in the technique will allow air to creep into an assay or process the take-home message is depressed and release the plunger smoothly with consistent pressure and speed during each sample transfer you

Channel: Artel

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Keywords: ARTEL, 10 Tips, Pipetting Tips, Pipetting, Pipetting Technique, How to Pipette, Pipette

Id: NO1dK1zuRSw

Length: 8min 51sec (531 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 22 2009