Artel Announces Winners of Lab Week Pipetting Challenge

Artel, the leader in liquid handling quality assurance, has announced the winners of the company’s 2015 Pipetting Challenge, which took place in conjunction with the Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (Lab Week). 40 teams, made up of more than 350 individual participants, entered the competition, which was created to test pipetting proficiency and help lab professionals improve their skills while competing for medals and prizes.

A promotional poster for Lab Week 2015 read, “Not all heroes wear capes, some wear lab coats,” and we recognize that accurate pipetting is one of the skills that makes them heroes,” explained Kirby Pilcher, President of Artel. “Our competition is a fun way for these laboratorians to keep their skills honed. We congratulate all the contestants who took part in this popular, team-building event.”

Using the Artel PCS® Pipette Calibration System and Artel’s 10 Tips poster demonstrating proper pipetting technique, each contestant was asked to deliver 20 μL five times and the variation in the volumes delivered was measured. Contestants entered their pipetting performance results online and submitted documented results to Artel for evaluation. Everyone who competed received a Certificate of Participation and those who scored within specific tolerance levels earned bronze, silver or gold medals. Teams of 10 participants each vied for the top prizes. Teams from ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, UT, took first and third place with scores of 0.09 % CV and 0.12 % CV, winning gift cards worth $300 and $100 respectively. Haematologic Technologies in Essex Junction, VT, came in second with a score of 0.10 % CV, winning a gift card worth $200.

“We invite all employees to participate in the competition, not just those who pipette regularly,” commented Barbara Bonke, continuing education coordinator at ARUP Laboratories. “So you are seeing the results from a mix of employees – technical testing departments, client services personnel, finance, human resources and specimen processing. For some of them this might have been their first time experience at pipetting… We’re very proud of our results.”

Doug Knaphus, laboratory manager in the biotechnology department at Salt Lake Community College, uses the Artel PCS as a training tool and commented, “Our students were really happy to participate again this year. It is our sixth year of entering an all-student team into this competition. We are always pleased with how well they do.”

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, scheduled annually, highlights the importance of clinical laboratory competency and celebrates the professionals involved in this critical science. “Every day, lab heroes are at work helping to deliver quality results that lead us to healthier lives,” said Pilcher.