Pipettes and Serial Dilutions Have Dramatic Negative Effects on Biological Assays

20 Feb 2015

Liquid handling and dilution processes profoundly influence estimates of biological activity. This study compared tip-based serial dilution and dispensing versus acoustic dispensing with direct dilution. Published data show results differ by orders of magnitude with no correlation or ranking of datasets. In short, tip-based dispensing processes are an important source of error in high-throughput screening. These findings have far-reaching implications in biological research.

Echo® 500 Series Liquid Handlers

The Echo® liquid handler revolutionizes liquid handling with acoustic energy. Sound waves eject precisely sized droplets from a source onto a microplate, slide or other surface suspended above the source. This product does not use tips, pin tools or nozzles—completely eliminating contact between the instrument and the liquid. The Echo liquid handler provides powerful benefits: Tipless transfer, resulting in dramatic cost savings Improved information about sample integrity and improved transfer quality through measurement of DMSO hydration level Elimination of the need for calibration through Dynamic Fluid Analysis™ technology, a patented Labcyte process Elimination of cross-contamination, carryover or leachates through non-contact transfer Accurate, precise movement of nanoliter-scale quantities, enabling assay miniaturization and further reducing costs Better results through direct dilution of compounds, an improvement over serial dilution methods Greatly simplified assay development and dilution processes through the flexibility to transfer any volume of liquid from any well to any other well

(82)

Tags

Cell-Based AssaysCell-based assays are used to monitor the presence, quantity and activities of a desired cellular analyte including drug molecules or biomarkers. This can reveal information on cell health (apoptosis, cytotoxicity, viability and proliferation assays), cell metabolism, cell migration and cell signaling mechanisms. Find the best cell-based assay products, kits and equipment with our peer reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receiving pricing direct from manufacturers.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.Acoustic Liquid HandlingQuality ControlQuality control is needed in all production processes. Quality control is a monitoring procedure or set of procedures that are put in place to ensure that a manufactured product adheres to a defined set of quality criteria.
Pipettes and Serial Dilutions Have Dramatic Negative Effects on Biological Assays