Low-Binding Tips: When Recovery Really Matters

December 23, 2025

In many laboratory workflows, pipette tips are treated as interchangeable consumables.
As long as the volume is correct, the job feels “done.”

But when working with proteins, low-concentration samples, or extracellular vesicles (EVs), that assumption quietly breaks down.

If you’ve ever wondered why your recovery is lower than expected,
or why results fluctuate even when protocols are unchanged,
the answer may be simpler than you think: sample adsorption to the pipette tip.

When “Loss You Can’t See” Becomes a Real Problem

Unlike evaporation or spillage, adsorption is invisible.
A small amount of protein or particle remains attached to the inner surface of the tip, never reaching the tube or well where it belongs.

For high-concentration samples, this loss may be negligible.
But in workflows where every microliter matters—such as proteomics, EV research, or precious clinical samples—the impact quickly becomes significant.

Low-binding tips are designed specifically for these situations.
Their purpose is not to change how you pipette, but to reduce what is silently left behind.

What Makes a Tip “Low-Binding”?

Low-binding tips are manufactured with surface properties that minimize interactions between the sample and the plastic.
This is typically achieved through specialized surface treatment or polymer formulation that reduces hydrophobic and electrostatic attraction.

The result is subtle but important:
samples are more likely to stay in solution rather than adhering to the inner wall of the tip.

You may not notice a dramatic difference in a single dispense,
but over repeated transfers—or across an entire experiment—the improvement in recovery becomes clear.

Why Proteins and EVs Are Especially Affected

Proteins, peptides, and extracellular vesicles tend to interact readily with plastic surfaces.
This is not a flaw in the experiment—it is simply chemistry.

In workflows such as protein quantification, enzyme assays, or EV isolation,
even small, inconsistent losses can distort downstream measurements and reduce reproducibility.

Low-binding tips help stabilize these workflows by making recovery more predictable, not by changing the protocol itself.

When Low-Binding Tips Are Worth Using

Low-binding tips are particularly valuable when working with:

Low-abundance proteins or peptides
Extracellular vesicles and nanoparticles
Samples prepared in small volumes
Experiments where recovery directly affects interpretation

In these cases, the tip becomes more than a disposable—it becomes part of the measurement system.

Precision Still Matters

It’s important to note that low-binding performance alone is not enough.
Poor molding precision or inconsistent tip geometry can introduce variability, regardless of surface treatment.

A well-designed low-binding tip combines minimal adsorption with stable fit and consistent geometry, ensuring that accuracy and recovery improve together.

A Small Change That Supports Better Data

Switching to low-binding tips rarely requires changes to protocols or workflows.
Yet for sensitive applications, the effect on data quality can be surprisingly large.

When recovery truly matters, reducing invisible loss is one of the simplest—and most overlooked—ways to improve experimental reliability.