Help for difficult-to-pipette samples

Have you ever tried pipetting a viscous solution, only to find that your pipette could not accurately draw up the solution? Have you worried about damaging fragile cells or unstable molecular complexes when pipetting?

If you are working with samples that are difficult to pipette or can be damaged by pipetting, you should consider using wide bore pipette tips.

Wide bore pipette tips

Wide bore pipette tips are equipped with a distal end orifice that is nearly 70% larger than that of a standard pipette tip. These tips provide the added flexibility required for handling difficult-to-pipette samples.

 

Thermo Scientific™ ART™ Wide Bore Pipette Tips seal when exposed to potential contaminants, trapping them inside the barrier. Wide bore pipette tips are available in different volumes (200–1,000 mL) and packaging options (bulk, racked, nonsterile, sterile, non-filtered, and filtered).

Wide bore pipette tips are especially useful for the following applications:

Genomic DNA (gDNA)

Pipetting alone can shear gDNA and should be considered when considering a protocol that will include the transfer of gDNA. A wide bore pipette tip will keep the gDNA more intact and lessen the chance of shearing during pipetting.

Cellular materials

When working with fragile cellular samples such as macrophages, hybridomas, or hepatocytes, cellular damage is a big concern. Using a pipette tip that will not damage cells passing through the distal end should be considered in order to protect the cells during transfer.

Viscous samples

For those working with viscous solutions, the wider opening allows thicker, more viscous liquids to pass through by lowering the pressure needed for movement through the orifice and into the shaft of the tip.  In general, by lowering the pressure needed to pass the sample through the orifice, the resistance of flow is decreased, and less stress is put on the sample during liquid handling.

Particulate samples

Using a wide bore pipette tip for samples that have particles (e.g., environmental/food-derived samples, beads, etc.) can prevent blockage in the distal end of the tip during pipetting. The user can save time, repeat pipetting, and prevent contamination of sample or pipette shaft with use of a wide bore pipette tip.

Additional considerations when using wide bore tips

It is always important to check the performance of your pipette and tips prior to use so that any adjustments can be made to obtain the best accuracy and precision. Also, there are different pipetting techniques that can be performed to better handle difficult-to-pipette samples. Please refer to the fundamentals of pipetting practices online guide for a comprehensive overview of pipetting techniques to improve your pipetting in the lab.

To find out more about Thermo Scientific ART Pipette Tips, visit thermofisher.com/art.