Artel Launches Learning Center Initiative to Improve Pipetting Knowledge and Skills in the Lab

17 Jul 2011
bridget bridget
Laboratory Director

Product news

At this year’s American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo (July 24 - 28 in Atlanta, Georgia), Artel, the worldwide leader in liquid handling quality assurance, will unveil the Artel Learning Center, featuring webinars aimed at laboratory professionals dealing with liquid handling.

Artel is already well-known for its on-site pipetting proficiency training and quality management certification seminars, which provide laboratory professionals with a better understanding of the strong impact operator technique can have on liquid handling quality and, in turn, the reliability of test results. With the Artel Learning Center, laboratories will be able to access Artel’s vast resource library of lab reports, publications, presentations, case studies and other literature related to liquid handling for pipettes and automated liquid handlers, as well as engage with educational webinars that can help enhance operator competency and strengthen the integrity of test results. Artel’s webinars are convenient training methods that promote staff education without leaving the workplace.

“Working with manufacturers and users of all types of liquid handling instrumentation, from automated liquid handlers to handheld single-channel pipettes, we’ve amassed significant knowledge about ensuring volume accuracy and precision and quality results,” said Kirby Pilcher, President of Artel. “We are proud to now make this knowledge available in one place through the Artel Learning Center. Our aim is to develop and strengthen laboratory technician skills, spreading best practices and enhancing confidence in results.”

The newest resource within the Artel Learning Center is a webinar entitled “Best Practices in Manual Pipetting,” which will focus on proper pipetting technique. In addition to learning how pipettes work and fail, webinar participants will be trained on to standardize pipetting technique to mitigate operators as sources of errors, and will get an overview of pipetting ergonomics.

To underscore the importance of proper pipetting skills and the impact improper technique can have on results, Artel will also host the Pipetting Olympics at its booth (#1020) during AACC. The competition, which has become an AACC tradition,awards participants with superior pipetting skills. The accuracy and precision of volume dispenses are measured in the booth by the Artel PCS® Pipette Calibration System. Competitors achieving the lowest coefficient of variation (CV) while pipetting are awarded Olympic-style medals.

At this year’s AACC, Artel has opened the competition to teams, allowing groups to compete for a chance to win a series of prizes.

Laboratory professionals interested in accessing the resources of the Artel Learning Center can do so by visiting the company article page.

Links

Tags

Pipettes and DispensersPipettes and dispensers are essential lab equipment used to dispense measured volumes of liquid accurately. Explore a range of manual and electronic pipettes, including single and multichannel, serological and volumetric pipettes, as well as a range of pipette tips. Bottle-top dispensers are also available for simple and fast solvent dispensing. Find the best pipettes & dispensers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Labware and Lab SuppliesLabware and lab supplies include various forms of glassware, plasticware, reagents and personal protective equipment (PPE) and are used across all scientific laboratories, enabling daily tasks to be performed. Explore a range of flasks and beakers, petri dishes, carboys and storage bottles. Labware such as condensers, desiccators and burettes are also available for more specific tasks. Find the best labware and lab supplies in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Assay AssemblyAssay Assembly is technique used in drug discovery to develop assays to test the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, or other activities of a compound on a cell. Assay assembly requires chip assembly, a delivery system and a detection and analysis method. Beneficial features of assay kits or automated systems include high-throughput, high speed and sensitivity and low signal to noise ratio.Medicinal ChemistryMedicinal chemistry is a broad discipline encompassing the design, identification, synthesis and development of chemicals in drug discovery. It includes a number of techniques covering structural biology, synthetic chemistry and molecular biology. Technologies used in medicinal chemistry include ADME, lab-on-a-chip, high content screening and assay assembly.Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion involves giving donor blood to a recipient patient. Screening is essential to avoid transfusion reactions. Blood banks use immunohematological techniques to determine rh and ABO blood group, and screen for antibodies using specific antisera. Blood Banks use Direct Coombs Tests (DCT) and Indirect Coombs Tests (IAT) to detect hemolysis and Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.ImmunologyImmunological techniques measure and characterize immune responses. Immunology kits and analysis systems often use techniques such as ELISA, radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunodiffusion assays, Immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. Immunologists use equipment such as flow Cytometers, plate readers, plate washers and fluorescent microscopes.Cellular PathologyCellular Pathology deals with the microscopic analysis of tissue samples and cells. Sample preparation and processing includes fixation, staining, sectioning and slide mounting, using equipment such microtomes and cryostats. In choosing immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry kits, consider chromogens, staining method, antibodies, microscopes and imaging.Point-of-CarePoint-of-Care Testing (POCT) or Near Patient Testing (NPT) products are available for urine, blood and other clinical chemistry analyses. POCT includes: blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing (PT / INR), rapid cardiac markers diagnostics, drugs of abuse screening, urine strips testing, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogens screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing and cholesterol screening.Clinical TrialsClinical Trials, an essential part of drug discovery process, assess the safety and effectiveness of a new medication or device in the pharmaceutical industry. Clinical Trials are a phased process (Phase 0, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III and Phase IV) which begins after initial preclinical testing.Automated Liquid HandlingAutomated liquid handling equipment is used to mix, dilute and dispense allotted volumes of liquid into microplates and other vessels automatically. The robotic, liquid handling arms can dispense from single channel to 3456 multichannel as well as operate nanoliter dispensing, enabling high throughput of samples. Find the best automated liquid handlers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Clinical GeneticsMolecular Genetics covers the analysis of hereditary genetic disease and chromosomal abnormalities. Genetics can be analysed using DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays, PCR, RT PCR and DNA sequencing. Genetic equipment includes genetic workstations, thermal cyclers, cooling blocks and electrophoresis products. Diagnostic kits are used for DNA / RNA extraction and purification.
Artel Launches Learning Center Initiative to Improve Pipetting Knowledge and Skills in the Lab