Selecting the Right Pipette Tip

There is a pipetting system for virtually every application and requirement. The type of experiment you are performing and the physical properties of the liquid will determine the correct pipette tip to use.

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A standard tip is a multi-purpose tip for many laboratory applications with a variety of performance requirements that range from high accuracy to reagent dispensing with greater tolerance. Sterile standard tips are available for applications demanding the highest level of purity.

A filter tip is beneficial when the assay is sensitive to cross-contamination, or if the sample can contaminate the lower part of the pipette. The filter prevents liquid from accidentally splashing the inside of the pipette, and reduces aerosols from penetrating the pipette tip cone during pipetting. Filter tips are recommended for low volume applications in genetic studies, forensics, PCR, and radioisotope sampling. They are available with either self-sealing barrier or standard filter tips – both of which are designed to prevent cross-contamination.

Extended length tips allow you to access the bottom of test tubes, reagent bottles, flasks, and other vessels without touching the shaft of the pipette against the side of the tube. This adds a layer of security to protect samples, and virtually eliminates the chance of carryover contamination. The longer tip length allows you to reach the bottom of long or narrow vessels that standard tips cannot reach.

Utilizing polymer technology makes the inner surface of the pipette tip more hydrophobic, resulting in a significant reduction in sample loss due to adhesion. Benefits include improved sample delivery and conservation of expensive reagents.

Wide orifice tips feature a distal end orifice that is nearly 70 percent larger than that of a standard pipette tip. These tips provide the added flexibility required for handling difficult-to-pipette samples. They are designed for researchers working with macromolecules like genomic DNA and are especially critical for transferring fragile cellular samples such as macrophages, hybridomas, and hepatocytes, as well as other viscous materials.

Loading acrylamide or agarose gels with standard pipette tips can be a time-consuming process. Use the round gel loading tips for agarose gels and specialized Ultra Round and Ultra Flat gel tips for your polyacrylamide gels to speed up the loading process.

Solvent-safe carbon filtered pipette tips are the best solution for handling the pipetting rigors of Combinatorial Chemistry. These specialized tips keep strong acids, bases, and aggressive organic solvents from causing pipette failures and critical inaccuracies.

For extremely sensitive applications, single-wrapped tips are available. Individually-wrapped sterile tips are ideal for extremely sensitive applications requiring strict aseptic conditions.