Manual or Electronic Micropipette: How to Choose?

The world of microbiology is divided into two camps: those who love electronic micropipettes and those who… dig in love manual micropipettes.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

To help you pick a side, we’ve listed them for you.

The Manual Pipette

As the name suggests, the manual micropipette is operated manually by the user.

To do so, the operator must press a plunger with their thumb.

Advantages of the Manual Micropipette

• Lower Initial Cost: A manual micropipette is generally 30-40% cheaper than its electronic counterpart.
  
• Simpler to Use and Maintain: No batteries, chargers, electronics, or programming… making it straightforward to operate and maintain.

Disadvantages of the Manual Micropipette

• Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): Manual micropipettes require more physical effort, putting strain on the hand’s joints, particularly the thumb. Over time, this can lead to fatigue or even injuries, potentially resulting in time off work.
  
• Operator-Dependent Reproducibility: Each user has their unique pipetting technique (e.g., speed of pressing and releasing the plunger), which can cause variability between microbiologists.

The Electronic Micropipette

Unlike the manual micropipette, the plunger of an electronic micropipette is activated automatically with the press of an electronic button. Similarly, tip ejection can also be automated.

Advantages of the Electronic Micropipette

• Precision and Reproducibility: Regardless of the operator, an electronic micropipette standardizes the speed of aspiration and dispensing. This ensures consistency in pipetting both between and within microbiologists.
  
• Reduced Risk of Cross-Contamination: If aspirated liquid gets drawn into the micropipette, cross-contamination becomes inevitable. With an electronic micropipette, controlled aspiration speed minimizes this risk to nearly zero.
  
• Reduced Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): Although slightly heavier, the electronic micropipette reduces thumb strain by eliminating manual pressure on the plunger. Automatic tip ejection also significantly reduces thumb fatigue.
  
• Multidispense Mode: One of the standout features of an electronic micropipette is its ability to automate multiple operations.
  
  For instance, in multidispense mode:
  
  If you need to dispense 3 aliquots of 100 µL into 3 Petri dishes from a stock solution, instead of aspirating 100 µL three times and repeatedly moving between the tube and the dishes (while handling caps and lids), you can directly aspirate 300 µL and dispense it in 3 aliquots of 100 µL into each dish.
  
  This reduces the number of “trips” between the tube and the dishes, saving time and relieving strain on the elbow and shoulder.

There are many other programmable modes that can be very practical… if you know how to use them!

Disadvantages of the Electronic Micropipette

• Higher Initial Cost: Expect to pay about 30-40% more than for a manual micropipette.
  
• More Complex Maintenance and Calibration: As with any device that incorporates more advanced technology, maintenance is slightly more complex, and the risk of malfunction is higher.
  
• More Complicated Programming: Even though we’re increasingly accustomed to electronic devices, programming an electronic micropipette is still more challenging compared to a manual one.
  
• Slightly Slower for Simple Pipetting Tasks: A skilled technician will likely work faster with a manual micropipette for straightforward pipetting tasks compared to an electronic one.

Conclusion 

If your laboratory frequently performs repetitive tasks requiring high precision, an electronic micropipette may be the better choice.

Just for reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), using an electronic micropipette should be considered. Some suppliers recommend switching to electronic models for more than 80 pipetting actions per day. However, this number is arbitrary, as individual sensitivity to MSDs varies greatly.

For more varied tasks or if you’re working with a limited budget, a manual micropipette might be more appropriate.

Regardless, it’s essential to test micropipettes for 1 to 2 weeks under routine conditions before making a decision.

And who knows? The best solution for your microbiology lab might be to use both types—manual and electronic micropipettes!

What about you? Which micropipette have you chosen? Share your experience in the comments!