What Happens When You Drop a Micropipette? A Behind-the-Scenes Damage Report
What Happens When You Drop a Micropipette? A Behind-the-Scenes Damage Report
Blog Article
The Drop That Shook the Lab
In any laboratory, micropipettes are among the most reliable instruments. We are confident in their ability to deliver precise, minuscule volumes of liquid, and we use them every day—sometimes hundreds of times. They may look tough, but they are instruments of precision, and precision is not amenable to shock.
I dropped a micropipette one morning while working on a hurried DNA quantification procedure. Even though it was only waist-level and on the edge of the lab bench, the distinct clatter stopped everyone in its tracks. It showed no obvious cracks and did not shatter into pieces. I therefore believed I was lucky. I deleted it, did some tests, and went on. Or so I believed.
Nearly two weeks' worth of data were impacted by that single drop, and the full extent of the harm was not only financial but also procedural and private.
Why Dropping a Micropipette Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
A dropped micropipette may appear to be in perfect condition to the untrained eye. The plastic shell may still be in place. The plunger may continue to move. The internal changes brought on by a sudden impact, however, are invisible.
The majority of micropipettes have precisely calibrated air gaps, springs, seals, and pistons inside. Any of these could be damaged or misaligned by a slight shock. Under- or over-dispensing can result from even minor deformations that alter the volume accuracy and jeopardize the pipette's ability to seal. If you are pipetting volumes that are noticeably similar, you might not notice this right away, but in high-sensitivity applications like PCR or spectrophotometric assays, those errors can quickly lead to significant data corruption.
How We Found Out the Damage Was Done
One of my teammates used the same pipette in a protein assay a few days after the drop. They appeared to have strange control values. Then, inconsistent standard curves were obtained from another experiment. No one initially suspected the equipment. We placed the blame on plate reader settings, reagent deterioration, and pipetting error. Using the same micropipette, I even conducted one of the unsuccessful experiments again, but the results were inconsistent.
The truth did not surface until our lab supervisor inquired as to whether any equipment had recently been compromised. Although I acknowledged dropping the pipette, I said it appeared to be okay afterwards. At that point, we made the decision to use distilled water and a precision balance to test its calibration.
The outcomes were evident. It was dispensing more like 92 µL at a setting of 100 µL. Until data inconsistencies grew, the error was constant but went undetected. The majority of our recent data was invalidated by that small volume deviation alone. Even worse, a partial report based on those findings had already been turned in.
The True Cost of a Single Drop
We lost time, trust, and the ability to advance our experiments in addition to a piece of lab equipment. The cost of wasting reagents on inaccurate results was much higher than the cost of recalibrating or replacing the micropipette. More significantly, each experiment that had made use of the damaged pipette needed to be revalidated.
This led to conflict within the team and considerably slowed down our research timeline. It was about the unintended consequences of small carelessness and the necessity of fostering a culture of cautious equipment handling, not just about one person dropping a pipette.
I was devastated myself. At the time, it seemed like such a minor incident. It mattered, even though I did not think it would. I learned to take lab equipment as seriously as unprocessed data. Since they are actually inseparable.
What We Now Do Differently in the Lab
Our lab has established new routines and procedures since that incident. We now check micropipettes more frequently, particularly following an incident. One is marked for testing prior to use if it is dropped, even slightly. Before returning it to a bench, we record the occurrence and verify it on a balance.
To lower the chance of falls, we also installed pipette stands and rubber-lined holders at each workstation. Interns and all other team members are taught to report even the smallest drops without passing judgment. We were able to avoid more accidents by fostering an environment where mistakes were accepted.
The frequency of calibrations has increased, and they are no longer merely yearly checkboxes. Indeed, everyone learned to slow down, particularly when juggling multiple tasks. Rushing causes drops, spills, and blunders. Additionally, some of those may be much more expensive than we anticipate.
Final Thoughts: Handle with Respect
The inside of micropipettes is extremely sensitive and finely engineered, despite their seemingly robust exterior. Dropping one can cause subtle defects that jeopardize your entire workflow, even though it does not always break it outwardly.
The lesson here is straightforward: do not assume that just because something "looks" fine, it is okay. Stop and test your micropipette if it falls. Because they are closely related, safeguard it just as you would your outcomes.
Accidents do occur, but the quality of our science is determined by how we handle them. We could have avoided two weeks of work if I had tested that pipette immediately after the drop. I hope you will not make that mistake again, because I won't.
Related: Also check micropipette to know more. Report this page