Good Pipetting Practice for Laboratory Research

Many experiments in life science research demand careful manipulation of precise quantities of liquids, for which pipettes are a vital instrument. Precision and accuracy are highly important to ensure high quality scientific results. To estimate the accuracy of scientific data, the quality of the pipette is only half the story. It is also important to consider pipette maintenance and calibration, as well as the experience of the user, all of which can affect the quality, accuracy and reproducibility of the resulting data.

Good Pipetting Practice

It is important to have a detailed understanding of liquid handling procedures, and of the equipment used to perform these tasks to ensure that research is successful. It is essential to consider how well pipettes have been serviced and calibrated and how these factors influence the results. Users should also be aware of effective pipetting techniques and of the dangers of repetitive strain injury.

Rainin, Anachem and METTLER TOLEDO have developed Good Pipetting Practice (GPP) to guide users through these important considerations. The five-step Good Pipetting Practice program includes seminars, educational materials and risk analyses to improve repeatability and accuracy of liquid handling and to highlight some of the dangers of liquid handling processes.

The 5 steps are:

• Evaluation and Selection - helping users to appreciate the options available to them and choose the best instruments to meet their requirements.
• Training - advising users on how to optimise workflow through effective techniques and knowledge of the best method to use for various liquids.
• Calibration and Routine Operation - help users appreciate and avoid potential risks, and make them aware of the need to keep pipettes maintained.

By running a Good Pipetting Practice in your laboratory you can ensure that the entire team can:

• Choose the right pipetting instruments
• Choose the best pipetting techniques
• Optimise liquid handling workflows
• Be aware of the importance of routine checks and of the dangers of out-of-calibration pipettes.

You can visit the website for more information on Good Pipetting Practice (GPP) and for a free GPP risk check tool. The tool is completely confidential and can be executed in a period of just 5 minutes. On completion of the analysis, a link is provided for a more precise analysis of pipetting risks, along with advice on how to keep them to a minimum.

Anachem's whitepaper: "The Effect of Pipetting on Experiment Outcome" discusses scientific papers, which have illustrated how mistakes in pipetting processes influence scientific results and studied the benefits of carrying out effective maintenance and regular checks. Contact Anachem today for a free copy of the paper.