If you work in the biotech, pharma, or medical device industries, then chances are that you use pipettes nearly every day without thinking much about them. You know that pipette calibration is crucial to maintain their accuracy, but have you thought much about the path that led to the development of the precision instruments you rely on today?

As is the case with so many other great advances in science, necessity was the mother of invention when it came to the creation of the first pipettes. The devices were first invented and used by famed scientist Louis Pasteur, who is often remembered as one of the founders of medical microbiology.

Pasteur initially became interested in diseases and their causes after losing three children to typhoid, eventually showing that contamination from microorganisms was responsible for the spoiling of food and many illnesses.

The Birth of the Pipette

With this newfound understanding—which would eventually spawn Germ Theory—Pasteur found himself in need of a way to keep materials clean and sterile during experiments. This led him to create glass pipettes, which are still known as “Pasteur pipettes” by many people today.

While most of the pipettes we see at our pipette calibration lab today are precision engineered, Pasteur’s original tools were crafted by heating glass tubes and stretching the center out into a thin tendril. When snapped apart, this resulted in two thin-ended pipettes. These days, many transfer pipettes are molded from plastic to be less fragile than their glass counterparts.

When using pipettes to measure substances, precision is key. Fortunately, modern scientists find controlled environments and refined equipment are available so that their equipment, including pipettes, can be finely calibrated for ongoing accuracy!

To learn more about our calibration services, including how you can ensure accuracy in your pipettes, be sure to contact us online or to call the Atlantic Scale team at (973) 661-7090 today!