Sterile pipette tips are selected over standard tips whenever contamination control is critical. They are pre-sterilised and individually sealed, ensuring that no bacteria, viruses, or nucleases are introduced into your samples. This makes them essential for molecular biology, cell culture, clinical diagnostics, and other sensitive applications where even minor contamination can compromise results.

At FB Australia, our sterile pipette tips provide reliable, contamination-free performance, giving laboratories confidence in the accuracy and integrity of their experiments. They are particularly useful when working with PCR, RNA/DNA samples, or precious reagents, where maintaining sterility is non-negotiable.

Choosing the right pipette tips is key to ensuring precision, sample integrity, and reliable results. At FB Australia, we help labs select tips based on your pipette type, the volumes you handle, and the sensitivity of your application.

• Compatibility: Make sure the tips fit your pipette perfectly to avoid leaks or inaccurate volumes.
• Volume range: Use tips sized appropriately for your liquid measurements to ensure accuracy.
• Special features: Consider filtered tips for contamination-sensitive work, low-retention tips for sticky liquids, or wide-bore tips for viscous or fragile samples.
• Contamination risk: For molecular biology, clinical testing, or cell culture, sterile or RNase/DNase-free tips help protect your samples from cross-contamination.
• Quality: High-quality tips provide consistent performance and a secure fit, reducing errors and sample loss.

In most cases, pipette tips are designed for single use and should be disposed of after each application to prevent contamination and ensure accuracy. The good news is many pipette tip manufacturers are now introducing sustainable manufacturing processes to reduce plastic waste and encourage recycling. For example, Axygen’s HybridRack pipette tips are constructed from 70% less plastic than standard racked filter tips. This is a great option for those highly reproducible results from a pipette system that aims to reduce wastage. 

However, if you are aiming to reuse pipette tips made from durable materials like glass, they may be autoclavable and suitable for sterilisation between uses.

1. Rinse immediately: Rinse the tips thoroughly with distilled water after use to remove any residual liquid.
2. Soak in detergent: Place the tips in a mild laboratory detergent solution to loosen and remove contaminants.
3. Rinse again: Rinse several times with distilled or deionised water to eliminate any detergent traces.
4. Autoclave: If the tips are autoclavable, sterilise them according to the manufacturer’s recommended temperature and cycle time.
5. Dry and inspect: Allow the tips to air dry completely, then inspect for residue, damage, or warping before reuse. 

Filtered pipette tips are used to protect both samples and pipettes from contamination. Each tip contains a built-in filter that acts as a barrier, preventing aerosols, vapours, and liquid droplets from entering the pipette shaft. This is especially important when working with sensitive samples, volatile liquids, or infectious materials, as it helps maintain sample integrity and prevents cross-contamination between experiments.

At FB Australia, we supply high-quality plastic pipette tips, the most popular choice in modern laboratories. Made from medical-grade polypropylene, these tips offer excellent chemical resistance, durability, and precision, making them ideal for a wide range of liquid handling applications. Plastic pipette tips are preferred for their cost-effectiveness, disposability, and compatibility with most major pipette brands, ensuring reliable, contamination-free results in every use.