Autoclaved vs Sterile micropipette tips - What the difference?

Non-sterile vs. sterile It’s common sense that sterile pipette tips should be used for applications where sterility is important. But can you buy non-sterile tips and autoclave them yourself to save money? In theory, the answer is yes. However, you need to make sure that the manufacturer declares them as autoclavable, and be aware of the following: Lack of quality control Tip manufacturers validate their sterilization process, and perform regular quality checks. In contrast, individual labs don’t usually test the effectiveness of their autoclaving process, which can lead to contaminated samples. Autoclaved tips aren’t free of RNase and DNase Tips you’ve autoclaved yourself are sterile, which means that they are free from living organisms, but not necessarily from RNase and DNase. If you need to perform sensitive assays where this is required, you should opt for sterile pipette tips from a manufacturer who can certify that their tips are free of RNase and DNase.