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Every time you aspirate liquid, aerosols are generated inside the pipette tip. If you don't use filter tips, these aerosols may contaminate your pipette and, consequently, your next samples – even if you change tips in between. For example, when performing PCR applications, the cross-contamination of samples by aerosols in the pipette could lead to false positive results, as even the smallest quantities of DNA from a previous sample could be amplified. It's particularly important to use filter pipette tips when handling liquids that could damage your pipette, such as radio-labeled or corrosive samples, for both your own safety and lifetime of your pipette. Here's a list of liquids that should always be pipetted with filter tips, as they could either contaminate or damage your pipette: - RNA/DNA solutions - Infectious samples - Radio-labeled samples - Volatile, corrosive or viscous samples - Strong acids or bases And last but not least, filter pipette tips can be useful for training new lab staff. Spending extra money on filter tips until your colleagues get used to your instruments is a good idea that usually pays for itself, as you can avoid pipette contamination or damage from liquid entering the lower end of the pipette.
