When pipetting small volumes, you'll need to take additional steps to improve your sampling accuracy. Here are five tips for improving your pipetting technique.
Correctly reading the volume on a pipette depends on multiple factors, including proper pipetting technique. Here are some helpful tips to ensure you're using proper techniques in the lab.
Positive-displacement technology, like that used in our MICROMAN® E pipettes, is ideal when working with infectious, viscous, foaming, hot, cold, or volatile liquids because the disposable piston within the capillary piston (CP) tip is in direct contact with the sample. The CP technology thus removes any air cushion inside the pipette and ensures the volume accuracy is not affected by the fluid's properties.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a powerful and highly sensitive method of amplifying genetic material, with applications ranging from diagnostics and forensics to research.
However, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of your qPCR experiments can be challenging — even the smallest amount of contamination or failure to adhere strictly to liquid handling best practices can substantially impact your results.
So, what can you do to maximize your chances of delivering highly accurate qPCR results, time after time? In this article, we share our top 5 tips for qPCR success.
This glossary of pipetting terms (and the explanations of pipette types and working principles) gives lab technicians a quick, handy overview for reference.
Liquid properties such as viscosity, volatility, surface tension, or temperature can adversely affect the performance of your pipettes by having an impact on the volume of the air cushion inside the pipette. Additionally, air-displacement pipettes run a higher risk cross-contamination with biological samples and carryover of hazardous or radioactive liquids. For these situations, positive-displacement pipettes, such as MICROMAN® E, are a better tool for the job.
The type of pipette you use, and your pipetting technique will have a major impact on the accuracy and results of your assays. Almost every laboratory that conducts research will have a pipetting procedure that accurately measures the exact volumes when aspirating and dispensing liquids. However, if the workflow calls for pipetting dense liquids, making sure you’re using the correct pipette can ensure accuracy in your assays.
With so many models available, choosing the right pipettes for your lab will depend on the application. Here's how to choose a pipette for your experiment.
qPCR plays a vital role in addressing today’s healthcare questions, with applications ranging from gene expression analysis to mutagenesis studies, and contamination is a significant concern. So, how can you ensure the integrity of your qPCR samples? This article explores where contamination arises from, and how to identify it. To improve sample integrity, we highlight approaches you can take to minimize contamination.
To maintain accuracy and repeatability, you must service and maintain your instruments. Here’s what you should know about pipette replacement parts.
Sample contamination is one of the biggest worries when it comes to sample integrity. It can occur at many stages of a laboratory’s operations, from sample collection, to transport, analysis, and storage. In this article, we explore the key drivers of contamination during pipetting, showing how the right tools and pipetting best practices help maximize sample integrity for consistent success.
For most applications and workflows, normal pipetting will suffice. However, with volatile liquid handling or problematic liquids, you'll need a positive placement pipette like the MICROMAN E.
To ensure the accuracy of your results, you need to opt between using a positive-displacement pipette vs air-displacement pipette. Here’s what you should know.
How do you know you’re pipetting the volume you intend? Would you trust the results you’re getting if you didn’t know your pipettes were calibrated properly? Fortunately, there are standards that pipette manufacturers and calibration services follow so that you know you’re pipetting the correct volumes. Read more here.
Sample integrity is vital for accurate, trustworthy results and it can be affected by all stages of liquid handling, from pipetting to transport. Taking actions to improve pipetting and pipette storage, the lab environment, and sample storage and transport can protect your sample integrity and give you trustworthy results – learn more here.
Increased demand and the need for consistent results require every lab to deploy automated liquid handling in their workflows. Here’s what to consider.
Here at Gilson, we provide a range of trusted lab solutions that can be easily integrated into your qPCR and RT-Lamp testing workflows to deliver reliable data and streamlined results. See how our instruments and services can support you throughout each step of the procedure in this edition of Fluid News.
Here, we discuss SHIELD T3, an organization founded by the University of Illinois to help expand the use of the I-COVID test. We describe their testing method and how Gilson liquid handling products are used to facilitate the workflow.
I-COVID is a rapid saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We had the opportunity to interview Christian Messmacher, Chief Operating Officer of SHIELD T3, about the company, how their I-COVID test is expanding testing, and how he uses Gilson liquid handling tools to help facilitate the testing workflow.
Pipette maintenance is an essential part of your analytical method. Here are some of the best practices to keep your pipette working reliably and accurately.
From positive-displacement to air displacement or fixed volume to variable volume, how do you go about choosing the right pipette? Watch our video to learn what factors to consider when choosing the perfect pipette for your lab.
