Workshop #1: Pipette Basics

Time: February 9th 5:30 pm- 7:30 pm

Place: Beadle Center E121.1

Please fill-out pre-workshop questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/jUM5XvQgexaMMu4v6

What you will learn:

How to work with a variety of pipettes and syringes used in lab spaces: serological pipettes, Pasteur pipettes, micropipettes, multi-channel pipettes, and syringes.

Details of what we will go over:

Serological pipettes:

                              For larger volumes

                              Come in plastic single-use or reusable glass options

·        Hands-on work: use “manual” bulb to suck up volume of water and put into beaker. Use “automatic” serological pipettor to suck up volume of water and dispense into beaker.

Pasteur pipettes:

               Glass

               Used in specific circumstances that don’t require precise measurements

Example: when performing lipid extractions or any organic solvent extraction (chloroform, methanol, hexane, etc.)

·        Hands-on work: use bulb to suck up volume of water and put in beaker.

Pipettes/Micropipettes:

Volumes: 2 μL- 5000 μL

o   Hands-on work: How to adjust volume of pipette, how to suck up and dispense liquid from pipette.

Multi-channel pipettes:

o   Hands-on work: How to use a multi-channel pipettes.      

How to tell if a pipette is broken?

·        Hands-on work: Calibrate pipettes, or at least checking accuracy (weighing water)

o   Water’s density is 1 mL = 1 g so you can determine the accuracy of your pipettes by weighing water at various volumes

·        Hands-on work: Taking apart and cleaning pipettes.

o   Being able to take apart a pipette and clean/lubricate it will help keep your pipettes accurate and long lasting.

Syringes (if there is time):

Used primarily in anaerobic work, or when injecting a liquid into something with a stopper

·        Hands-on work: suck up liquid into syringe and dispense into Balch tube