The 96-well plate is a mainstay of the modern laboratory, whether for use with cell culture, assays, or molecular protocols. Plate coating is a common procedure that applies a layer of matrix, antibodies, or other products to help support processes like the growth of demanding cell lines or protein detection. Many labs opt to coat plates themselves, whether to drive consistency and quality or to suit a niche coating requirement.

While plate coating is generally not a complex process, it can be time-consuming and requires precision. The process typically involves a wash phase with multiple rinses before applying the coating itself. When working in 96 well plates, this often involves many pipetting steps and can take a long time, even with a multichannel pipettor. The Avidien microPro 300 benchtop 96 channel pipettor can dramatically reduce the time spent preparing coated plates while supporting coating consistency within and across plates.

Uniform Dispensing

To ensure consistency across a 96-well plate, each well needs to receive consistent treatment. When working with a handheld pipettor, uniform liquid dispensing requires consistent operation techniques from a user. Even when using the same pipettor, dispensed volumes can vary across users due to factors like tip angle and speed. An individual user may experience variation due to hand fatigue or distraction.

The microPro offers uniform dispensing across 96 well plates regardless of conditions. In independent laboratory testing, the microPro maintained precise volumes from well to well and plate to plate across multiple uses.

Rapid Workflows

For labs that coat plates regularly, the process can be a time sink. Wash steps and coating requires multiple steps, and each step is multiplied by the number of wells that can be pipetted at once. When large numbers of plates need to be coated, this can mean extra hours spent on the task.

The microPro saves time by reducing each wash and coating step to a single round of pipetting, offering greater consistency with less effort. Laboratory staff save time and energy on redundant pipetting tasks, freeing up bandwidth for other activities.

Custom Liquid Settings

The media used for matrix and antibody protein coatings is often more viscous or thick than liquids like ethanol or water. It may require slower pipetting or extra mixing to ensure consistent volumes.

The microPro offers Special Liquid Calibration, the ability to custom program settings for how specific steps will be pipetted to ensure ideal handling of every liquid. These settings can be implemented from the microPro’s iPad interface for simple pipetting no matter what liquid is being handled.

Built-In Protocols

With repetitive tasks like washing a plate before coating, it is easy for a lab worker to lose track of which step they’re on or what comes next. In large labs it is common for some individuals to do the same task slightly different from others, and can be difficult to unify how protocols are run.

The microPro simplifies protocols with fully customizable, pre-programmed steps for consistent workflows every time. An intuitive iPad interface makes setup and operation easy, so there's no question about what volume, mixing, or liquid settings should be used mid-protocol. Each user gets the same steps and settings to help drive consistency across users in the lab.

96 Well Plate Coating Made Easy

Consistent workflows lead to consistent results. Full plate multichannel pipetting reduces working time and increases uniformity when coating plates for cell culture and assay. Avidien's microPro 300 helps laboratories work smarter when working in 96 wells. 
Are you ready to experience the consistency and accuracy of the microPro 300 for yourself? Request a Free Trial and see firsthand how you can utilize technology to ensure accuracy for your lab.