Collection: Serological Pipettes

They identify the volume at a glance, but the scheme varies by manufacturer and between glass and plastic. In this range, the 1 mL glass pipettes and the 25 mL polystyrene pipettes both carry a red band. Match by the printed volume, not the color, when you reorder.

Individually wrapped sterile pipettes are for tissue culture and aseptic work, because each one stays sealed until it is used. Bulk-packed pipettes cost less and suit chemistry, buffer prep and teaching, where the pack is opened once and used through.

Graduations that continue past the pipette's nominal volume. A 5 mL pipette with negative graduations can deliver slightly more than 5 mL and still be read accurately, which is useful when a transfer is just over a round number.

For viscous liquids, cell suspensions and anything with particles. The wider opening fills and drains faster and puts less shear on cells than a standard tip.

A manual thumbwheel controller suits occasional use and needs no charging. A rechargeable motorized controller is faster and less tiring for repeated transfers. Both have a membrane filter that stops liquid being drawn into the controller. Change the filter whenever it gets wet.