Semi-automated pipettes are essential for liquid handling across diverse laboratory applications. These tools combine manual and automated capabilities to provide flexible solutions for different liquid dispensing tasks. For instance, their automated component ensures accuracy and higher throughput, while their ease of use and similarity to manual pipettes streamline lab integration. This blog will focus on the core benefits of incorporating semi-automated pipettes into laboratory workflows, highlighting areas where researchers can speed up their work while avoiding errors and expense.
Automation removes human error in pipetting workflows, which enhances accuracy and study success1,2. This includes the elimination of slight manual inconsistencies and errors like dispensing into the wrong well. Consistent pipetting is essential for experimental success, especially for sensitive molecular techniques requiring precise small volume dispensing.
Semi-automated pipettes simplify multi-hour workflows and help researchers achieve better outcomes. Techniques like qPCR and library preparation for next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be a nightmare for researchers using fully manual approaches. Semi-automated pipettes give researchers the confidence to tackle these challenges and, dare I say, even enjoy generating high-quality data with these techniques. Data consistency and reliability are crucial for research and industry reports, and semi-automated pipetting enhances research credibility and helps tackle lingering reproducibility issues in biomedical science3.
Semi-automated pipetting empowers researchers to perform complex pipetting tasks more efficiently. Ultimately, this means faster project completion and competitive advantages for the laboratory or organization4. Semi-automation significantly reduces the number of aspiration and dispensing steps. Small time savings accrue over long workflows, meaning researchers increase their output without sacrificing quality.
The time-saving advantages of semi-automated pipetting are most obvious in high-throughput research and clinical applications. For instance, genomics workflows like NGS require extended library preparation workflows with multiple washing steps in 96-well formats5. Drug screening and diagnostic methods, such as qPCR—which was widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic—both involve extensive pipetting in multiwell formats. In all three cases, manual pipetting is tedious and error-prone, while semi-automated pipetting provides speed and accuracy (Fig. 1)6,7.
Figure 1. Manual pipetting is more tedious, error-prone, and time-intensive than semi-automated solutions. (Source)
Manual pipetting tasks require more aspiration and dispensing steps than semi-automated techniques. This means operators perform significantly more actions per experimental workflow. A higher volume of repetitive movements increases the likelihood of RSIs, which are painful for the operator and cause workflows to grind to a halt8. Therefore, relying solely on manual pipetting increases the risk of project failure and can create ethical issues around staff safeguarding. On the other hand, semi-automated pipettes require far fewer manual steps, allowing operators to perform higher volumes of work with less input. Automated tools offer significant ergonomic benefits to operators and can help them avoid musculoskeletal fatigue9.
The cost of pipetting systems ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Semi-automated pipettes have lower upfront costs than fully automated liquid handling systems while maintaining usability for versatile applications. This makes them an excellent option for researchers looking to reap the benefits of automation while staying within tight budgets. Furthermore, semi-automated systems have fewer ongoing costs associated with maintenance and repairs, offering a greater return on investment (ROI).
Semi-automated systems strike an ideal balance, enabling them to handle low, medium, and high-throughput processes efficiently, meaning they offer more resource-efficient scalability than manual pipettes or fully automated systems. The G.PREP NGS automation system from DISPENDIX uses semi-automation to streamline NGS workflows while achieving significant ROI (Fig. 2).
Figure 2. The G.PREP NGS automation system incorporates the I.DOT Liquid Handler and G.PURE NGS Clean-Up Device, giving researchers unrivaled precision and speed for their NGS workflows.
Semi-automated pipettes seamlessly integrate into existing workflows, reducing downtime and enabling researchers to work faster and more accurately right away. Manual pipettes are essential in laboratories, and most personnel are trained to use them. Their similarity to semi-automated pipettes allows for easy switching between the two and streamlines the training of new personnel. Semi-automated tools from DISPENDIX, including the I.DOT Liquid Handler, provide simple user interfaces, allowing researchers to hit the ground running, and easily tackle complex workflows.
Semi-automated pipettes offer a powerful combination of accuracy, efficiency, ergonomics, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. These tools streamline laboratory workflows while maintaining flexibility by improving precision, increasing throughput, reducing RSI risks, and providing a budget-friendly alternative to full automation. Their user-friendly design ensures a smooth transition from manual pipetting, making them an ideal and simple upgrade for any lab. If you're ready to enhance your liquid handling processes, explore the latest semi-automated pipetting solutions and take your research to the next level.
Talk to the DISPENDIX team to discover how our semi-automated liquid dispensing solutions can reduce your expenses while ensuring high-quality results.