Published · 2026-10-26
A box of pipette tips that costs a few yuan less is an easy saving to spot. But the liquid left at the bottom of a reagent reservoir, droplets clinging to the inner walls of pipette tips, and sample lost during transfer may not show up on the purchasing ledger.
In applications involving high-value materials such as enzymes, antibodies, and library preparation reagents, reagents themselves may account for a larger share of the budget than consumables. The quality of consumables and how they are used can affect how fully and consistently these valuable materials are utilized.
If laboratories are tightening their belts, perhaps the first question to ask is: How much of the reagent we purchase actually makes it into the reaction?
01. Start by Looking at the Reagent Left in the Reservoir
During multichannel pipetting, a reservoir may still contain liquid even as some tips begin aspirating air. To complete the final few dispensing steps, operators may need to prepare extra reagent in advance. The smaller the working volume and the more expensive the reagent, the more important this residual volume becomes.
In its technical study of multichannel reagent reservoirs, INTEGRA noted that dead volume is affected by factors including container material and geometry, liquid properties, starting volume, and pipetting technique. As the liquid level falls, uneven liquid distribution may cause some channels to aspirate air before others.
Source [1]: INTEGRA. Measuring dead volume in INTEGRA’s multichannel reagent reservoirs. 2020. Manufacturer technical documentation cited to explain the mechanism of dead volume; it should not be interpreted as a universal performance comparison across brands.
This highlights why reagent reservoirs should not be selected solely by capacity and unit price. Instead, laboratories should measure the volume that can be reliably aspirated under their actual operating conditions, taking into account the number of channels, aspiration height, and liquid properties, before determining the appropriate reservoir size and preparation allowance.
By recording actual consumption and residual volume, laboratories can optimize reagent preparation while maintaining reliable dispensing during the final steps.
Here, “better utilization” means reducing unusable residual liquid. Residual reagent that has been exposed or may have been contaminated should never be returned to the original container simply to save money.
02. Some of the Most Expensive Materials May Be Left Behind During Transfer
Enzyme solutions containing glycerol, certain protein solutions, and other liquids prone to leaving residue may form a film on the inner walls of pipette tips after dispensing. Across repeated transfers, these losses can accumulate, potentially causing the amount of material delivered to a reaction to deviate from the intended volume.
Two types of loss need to be distinguished: liquid retention occurs when liquid is not fully dispensed, while adsorption involves interactions between molecules and the material surface. Low-retention pipette tips and low-binding tubes should therefore be evaluated separately according to the properties of the liquid and sample. These are related but distinct considerations.
A research team involving scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed the nanoPOTS platform, which reduced protein sample processing volumes to below 200 nL (less than 0.2 µL). By minimizing surface-related losses and combining the platform with high-sensitivity mass spectrometry, the team demonstrated proteomic analysis using very small numbers of cells. The study was published in Nature Communications.
Source [2]: Zhu Y, et al. Nanodroplet processing platform for deep and quantitative proteome profiling of 10–100 mammalian cells. Nature Communications, 2018, 9:882.
This does not mean that routine laboratories need to replicate a nanoliter-scale platform. The more practical lesson is that the smaller the sample, the more important container contact and transfer losses become. The goal is to preserve as much of the material already available as possible.
Practical first steps include reducing unnecessary tube changes, choosing containers appropriate for the sample volume, and comparing residual volume, recovery rates, and reproducibility under actual experimental conditions. Additional investment is warranted only when a measurable benefit can be demonstrated.
03. The Benefits of Miniaturized Reactions Must Be Proven by Results
When reagents are expensive, reducing reaction volume can be an attractive cost-saving strategy. However, as volumes decrease, the effects of pipetting variability, evaporation, and sealing problems may become more pronounced. Using less reagent does not automatically translate into real savings.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and collaborating institutions reported in mSystems that an acoustic liquid-handling system reduced the volume of 16S rRNA amplicon library preparation reactions from 25 µL to 5 µL. Validation using fish microbiome samples supported the preservation of microbial community analysis performance under the conditions tested.
Source [3]: Minich JJ, et al. High-Throughput Miniaturized 16S rRNA Amplicon Library Preparation Reduces Costs while Preserving Microbiome Integrity. mSystems, 2018, 3.
These savings depend on method optimization, equipment capabilities, and sample-specific validation. Before miniaturizing conventional PCR or qPCR reactions, laboratories should also assess low-volume pipetting performance, tube and plate compatibility, seal integrity, evaporation, and analytical performance.
Verify sensitivity and reproducibility before calculating reagent savings. Essential negative and positive controls, as well as other quality-control measures, must remain in place.
04. When Automating, Calculate the Cost of the Entire Workflow
Automation can reduce repetitive manual work, but purchasing equipment does not automatically make a process less expensive. The real savings depend on reagent residuals, consumable usage, workflow interruptions, and repeat runs. Improving dispensing speed alone does not tell the whole story.
A team at the University of California, San Francisco, reported in PLOS ONE that acoustic dispensing and workflow optimization enabled RNA sequencing library preparation in a 384-well format. According to the cost calculations reported in the paper at the time, material costs decreased from approximately US$43 to US$8 per sample, a reduction of more than 80%. The researchers also evaluated method performance using ERCC controls and sample testing.
Source [4]: Mayday MY, et al. Miniaturization and optimization of 384-well compatible RNA sequencing library preparation. PLOS ONE, 2019, 14(1). Material costs included reagents, pipette tips, and other consumables, rather than reagents alone. The reported reduction does not represent the reduction in total cost after equipment investment is included.
This study illustrates how substantial savings may come from redesigning the workflow. However, research using acoustic dispensing cannot be used directly to claim that a particular pipette tip will deliver the same percentage of reagent savings.
For automated platforms that use pipette tips, sealing performance, dimensional consistency, tip pickup and ejection, and continuous dispensing performance should still be validated under real operating conditions. Preventing a single malfunction from forcing an entire batch of reagent-loaded samples to be repeated is also an important part of cost control.
05. Turn Cost Savings into Everyday Laboratory Practice
Sustainable savings do not necessarily begin with switching to a cheaper consumable. They can begin with understanding where losses occur.
- Monitor residual volume during reagent preparation: Record actual consumption and remaining liquid, then optimize container selection and preparation volume.
- Monitor recovery during transfer: Reduce unnecessary tube changes and evaluate liquid retention and surface adsorption.
- Prioritize consistency in reaction miniaturization: Validate smaller reaction volumes before calculating potential savings.
- Align procurement with actual usage: Select packaging sizes and purchasing quantities according to consumption patterns and product stability to reduce expiration-related waste.
- Review costs against successful results: Account for reagents, labor, and repeat experiments together.
Ultimately, the value of a pipette tip or a microplate should be measured by whether it helps valuable reagents go further and enables experiments to be completed reliably under real laboratory conditions.
Acumen Bio: Evaluating Consumable Solutions Around Real Laboratory Applications
Acumen Bio offers laboratory consumables for liquid handling, molecular biology, cell culture, and related applications, including pipette tips, PCR tubes and plates, deep-well plates, centrifuge tubes, and other laboratory products. The company also provides OEM/CDMO research, development, and manufacturing services.
When addressing cost-reduction needs, we believe the first step is to understand the application: Which instrument is being used? What types of liquids are being handled? What is the working volume range? At which stage do losses or operational issues occur?
Based on this information, we work with customers to evaluate suitable consumable solutions using relevant product specifications and practical trials.
- Pipetting compatibility: Assess sealing performance, liquid retention, and dispensing performance under actual operating conditions.
- Tube and plate compatibility: Select appropriate formats and specifications based on reaction, centrifugation, and storage requirements.
- Supply planning: Discuss packaging options, order quantities, and delivery schedules according to consumption needs.
For customers with specific structural, dimensional, or packaging requirements, Acumen Bio can support customized cooperation through its capabilities in mold development, injection molding, automation, and quality inspection.
Bring your application requirements to Acumen Bio, and let’s work together to optimize costs for every successful result.
Contact Us
Phone: +86 512 6530 1268 / +86 159 6222 3520
Email: INFO@ACUMENBIO.CN
Website: www.acumenbio.cn
Address: No. 25 Xiasheng Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China