We’re sure you know your way around the lab, but did you know that choosing a serological pipette is quite a serious mission? Lab materials are the foundation of most of what you do in the lab.
Stellar Scientific bulk polysterene pipettes pictured above.
When you select the right tools, you can plan around your work rather than letting it direct you.
Common Applications for Serological Pipettes
Pipettes are a go-to for larger volume liquid handling. They are usually sterile packed and can be used for aseptic processes.
Some common applications include measuring and feeding for cell culture and chemical benchwork.
Tips & Tricks
- Individually packed pipettes should be quickly sterilized with 70% ethanol if to be used under the hood.
- Carefully holding the end opposite of the delivering end, push the pipette through the wrapper and immediately insert into the pipettor.
- Measure out the needed amount by hovering over open containers of the desired liquid and submerging without touching the sides of the container.
- Making sure there are no bubbles, steadily withdraw the desired amount until the meniscus touches the appropriate gradation. Hover over the final container and dispense.
Choosing Serological Pipettes that Fit Your Work
When you want top quality results, you need the tools that will give you the best performance. Choose from pipettes that are DNASE and RNASE free, non-hemolytic, sterile packed, and more.
Check product descriptions to see which options are ASTM E934 grade. These devices are top quality crystal polystyrene with bidirectional gradations, calibrated to deliver within 2% accuracy of the target volume.
Never fear, we know that not every process requires this level of caution, and cheap pipettes still cover most of the bases.
Pipettor Maintenance Tips
Your pipettor also plays a role in the quality the pipette delivers. Best practices include charging directly beside the work area, cleaning with gentle detergent, and regularly replacing the internal filter.
**Liquids can enter the pipettor and ruin the integrity of your work, and ethanol damages plastics, so choose a cleanser.
Research Applications
Pipettes are critical tools in cell culture settings where they are used for plating, feeding, and isolating new cells to create primary cultures.
Example Application
Mechanical dissociation of trypsinized tissues for primary cell culture creation can involve pipette mixing a tissue sample 10-20 times, as seen with mouse primary astrocyte cultures.
The larger-sized mouths of the serological pipette allow the cells to be gently dissociated from tissue without much shearing.
Some Things to Think About when Choosing what to Buy:
- The volumes you’ll be pipetting. How much, how often, and how accurate should they be?
- The kind of liquids you’ll be working with… are there any harsh chemicals?
- Are there any cell suspensions in your workflow?
- Any types of molecules that need special consideration like DNA?
Before selecting, know if the liquids you’re working with require standard or more precise measurement.
Cost vs. Quality
High-throughput work may require you to purchase cheaper options, but don’t sacrifice quality.
Bulk options provide high-quality tools in quantities that fit your pace and suit most applications.
If you work with blood or other sensitive cell types, it’s important to choose non-hemolytic and non-cytotoxic pipettes. See options that are made for medical grade applications.
Filter plug pipettes help protect you and your liquid handling devices from aerosols and contamination, and we have multiple brands available.
See all we have to offer. Browse for ASTM standardized, filter plug, ergonomic and other key features in our catalog.
Whatever you Need, Find it at Stellar Scientific
Our online catalog of bulk and specialty pipettes features in-depth category guides and product descriptions that help you select the features you need when you purchase. If you get lost, let us know, you can chat with a representative online, or call us.
Footnotes:
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- Schildge, S., Bohrer, C., Beck, K., & Schachtrup, C. (2013). Isolation and culture of mouse cortical astrocytes. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE, (71), 50079. https://doi.org/10.3791/50079