INTEGRA has released an application guide highlighting the importance of choosing the right disposable tips for the liquid being pipetted.
'Performance of Low Retention GripTips from INTEGRA' demonstrates how the high quality consumables can improve pipetting performance for viscous and low surface tension liquids.
High quality pipettes and correct techniques are essential to ensure reliable and reproducible results, but the physiochemical properties of the liquid can also have a significant impact on accuracy and precision, particularly at low volumes.
Polypropylene (PP) is the material of choice for most disposable pipette tips, as it repels aqueous liquids, leading to low fluid retention within the tip. However, liquids with a low surface tension – such as oils or solutions containing detergents – or the viscous fluids common in some biological applications can adhere to the inner surface of PP tips. This ‘wetting’ prevents efficient liquid ejection during dispensing, affecting reproducibility and leading to wastage of precious samples or reagents.
INTEGRA’s Low Retention GripTips – designed to work in combination with the company’s range of manual and electronic pipettes – offer a solution to the issue, ensuring optimal liquid recovery and improving experimental results.