How to use a pipette: Avoid dripping tips (video)

How to use a pipette: Avoid dripping tips

Welcome back, most everyone, who has ever pipetted, has experienced dripping tips at one time or another. Sounds familiar? You have aspirated a liquid and you want to start dispensing, while drops are already forming on your pipette tip. Why does this happen?

When you aspirate a liquid, it can begin to evaporate due to environmental differences between that liquid and the air in the tip. This can lead to an increase in the air pressure in the tip, which in turn might lead to the liquid dripping from the tip. This is common, when pipetting volatile liquids or liquids, which are quite hot or cold.

The solution is, to pre-wet the tips. Simply aspirate and dispense the full volume of the tip three times with the liquid before starting. This helps to equilibrate the conditions in the tip and when done correctly, can lead to marked improvement in and precision.

 

Learn more