7 Tips and Tricks to Help you Pipette like a Pro

Prolonged pipetting can cause fatigue, pain and even the risk of injuries. Correct pipetting techniques can significantly improve your results, enhance your working comfort and reduce the risks associated with RSI. Find out seven tips and tricks to pipette like a Pro.

Pipetting liquids is a key part of scientific research. In recent months, the Covid pandemic has for many, led to additional hours in the lab and inevitably, pipetting for extended periods of time. Prolonged pipetting can cause fatigue, pain and even the risk of injuries. Correct pipetting techniques not only make a significant difference to your results, it will also enhance your working comfort and reduce the risks associated with RSI. Starlab are liquid handling experts who recognise this problem and to help address this matter, have released a series of seven short videos called "Pipette like a Pro".

Each video explores pipetting tips and tricks in a fun way and is introduced by Starlab’s ErgoOne^® single-channel pipette, which is known for its lightweight and ergonomic design. The Pipette like a Pro series covers correct pipetting techniques, ergonomics and offers tips and tricks to help you avoid some of the common mistakes made while pipetting.

1. Find the perfect match
Selecting the wrong volume of pipette or tip for your sample can decrease sample accuracy and affect your results. To ensure the most accurate results when pipetting, always try to use a pipette that has the maximum volume closest to the volume of the sample you are pipetting.

It's important to select a tip volume that allows you to dispense your sample with as little dead air space as possible inside the pipette tip.

2. Get into the comfort zone
It's important to be comfortable when pipetting. If you find yourself stretching to reach what you need, or straining to see what you’re doing, you will not produce your best results. Keep your elbows close to your body and do not hold your pipette higher than your shoulder. This will reduce any strain in your shoulder or neck, and improve both your comfort and your results when pipetting.

3. Gently does the trick
Poorly fitting tips will not provide accurate results. If you need to use force to get the tip onto your pipette, something is wrong. Having to use pressure to fit the tip could mean your pipette cone is damaged and needs repair. Always use high-quality pipette tips like Starlab’s TipOne^® and a well-maintained pipette. Make sure to treat your pipette right, just a gentle push into a pipette tip is enough to fit your tip securely.

These are only the top three tips and tricks to help you improve your pipetting technique, comfort and ensure accurate and repeatable results.

Click here to watch all 7 episodes of the "Pipette like a Pro" series and find out all of the tips and tricks, you can also discover other interesting videos exploring Starlab’s passion for science.