I am treating a drug at a different concentration to cancer cells to generate an IC 50 curve. How to make sure 1 ul is added to cell culture with mutichannel pipette?
I personally would not pipette 1µl with a multichannel pipette but rather dilute the drug in a way that the desired final concentration is reached by adding at least 3µl.
To ensure that you add exactly 1 µl of a drug solution to your cancer cell culture using a multichannel pipette, follow these steps:
Calibration: Before starting your experiment, make sure that your multichannel pipette is calibrated and properly functioning. Calibration helps ensure accurate and precise volume delivery. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for calibration or consult your lab manager or a technical expert for assistance.
Set the pipette volume: Adjust the volume setting on your multichannel pipette to 1 µl. Most multichannel pipettes have individual volume adjustment for each channel, so ensure that all the channels are set to 1 µl.
Pipette technique: Proper pipetting technique is crucial for accurate and consistent volume delivery. Follow these steps:a. Pre-wet the pipette tips: Dip the multichannel pipette tips into the drug solution and press the plunger to draw the liquid up into the tips. Then, dispense the liquid back into the solution. This step ensures that the tips are wetted uniformly and minimizes any potential volume variations.b. Aspirate the drug solution: Lower the multichannel pipette into the drug solution, ensuring that all the tips are submerged. Depress the plunger slowly and smoothly until it reaches the first stop, which aspirates the desired volume of 1 µl. Avoid any sudden or jerky movements that may lead to variations in volume.c. Dispense into the cell culture: Carefully position the multichannel pipette above the cell culture plate or well containing your cells. Ensure that all the tips are immersed in the cell culture media. Depress the plunger fully to dispense the entire volume simultaneously into the cell culture. Hold the pipette in place for a moment to allow the solution to fully dispense.
Double-check and confirm: After pipetting, visually inspect the tips and verify that all the tips have dispensed the expected volume. Confirm that no liquid remains in the tips. If you notice any discrepancies, repeat the pipetting step for that particular well or adjust the pipette technique.
Remember to handle the multichannel pipette carefully to maintain accuracy throughout the experiment. Additionally, always use fresh, sterile pipette tips for each sample to avoid cross-contamination.
If you require the most precise and accurate volume measurements, consider using a calibrated automatic pipetting system or a liquid handling robot, as these instruments can provide higher accuracy and reproducibility compared to manual pipetting.
I agree with the Sabine. Dilute your drugs in the cell culture media to increase the volume that would serve as a working solution. Then you can use multichannel to pipette out larger volume to add to your cells.