Jul 22, 2025

Public workspaceRe-using pipette tips for gel loading

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.e6nvw495dlmk/v1
  • Gaia Gestri1,
  • Kate Turner1,
  • Anya Suppermpool1
  • 1UCL
  • FishFloorUCL
Kate Turner
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.e6nvw495dlmk/v1
External link: https://zebrafishucl.org/plastic
Protocol Citation: Gaia Gestri, Kate Turner, Anya Suppermpool 2025. Re-using pipette tips for gel loading. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.e6nvw495dlmk/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: July 14, 2025
Last Modified: July 22, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 222414
Keywords: pipette tips, greenlab, sustainability, plastic reduction, pipette tips for gel, gel loading tip, using pipette tip, loading gel loading tip, loading gel, gel, tip, single use
Funders Acknowledgements:
MRC
Grant ID: 556922
Abstract
Gel loading tips can be reused for most applications; there’s REALLY no need to throw them away after a single use. In our labs, we routinely reuse tips when loading gels, only switching to fresh ones when we plan to extract bands for cloning or sequencing.
Troubleshooting
Re-using pipette tips for loading gels.
Genoyping

Pipette tips can be REused for multiple rounds of genotyping saving thousands of tips in your lab.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/yOaemxk0p6I?si=eKys6Ft5RiNZzGqF
Watch Anya demonstrate how to load a gel with a much smaller number of pipette tips. Don’t forget to keep your box of tips for subsequent rounds of genotyping, they can be used again and again!



Checking your DNA or RNA

You can just use one tip to load a gel. Rinsing the tip with the running buffer between samples is an efficient way to avoid contamination. The only time we use a fresh tip is if we want to extract the band for cloning or sequencing.
Mapping mutants



We have mapped multiple mutants re-using the same tips again and again (e.g. Cachd1 ; Tcf7l1a; mab21l2u517). Again, just rinse your tips between samples and at the end ,then store for loading the next gel. This tip comes from Will Talbots lab at Stanford University where they have successfully mapped multiple zebrafish mutants using the same tips over and over again.
Store your tips


Use less agarose with our mini gel rig.


Our adorable mini gel rig was made by laser cutting pieces from an old broken gel rig. It uses three times less agarose than the equivalent 5 lane commericial gel rig. Saving agarose and cute to boot! Feeling inspired? Download the laser-cutter pattern and build your own sustainable rig.
Reuse Pipette Tips: WHEREVER POSSIBLE!


Keep designated pipette tips for solutions you use regularly. Really think before you reach for a fresh tip! For more ways to store your pipette tips check out https://zebrafishucl.org/plastic