Leon Li
Research Mentor: Jillian Myers
Mentor Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, LSA
Author(s): Leon Li, Leonardo Vardanega, Macy Arnett, Jillian Myers
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 28
Abstract
Plastic waste is a growing global problem because plastics do not readily degrade, leading to buildup in the environment. Research labs contribute to this issue through the widespread usage of single-use pipette tips. Plastic waste from research laboratories accounts for 2-3% of global plastic pollution, or 5.5 million metric tons per year. Tip-washing technologies could offer a potential solution to reduce lab plastic waste by allowing the pipette tips to be cleaned and reused. This study tested whether washing tips with the Grenova TipNovus completely rids plastic pipette tips of DNA contaminants. We contaminated pipette tips with DNA from a known organism, conducted various washing protocols, and performed PCR to confirm the presence or absence of residual DNA contamination. We assessed contamination visually with gel electrophoresis. While multiple washing protocols were evaluated, none of them consistently removed all DNA Contamination. However, no DNA amplification was seen on the tips that were washed and then autoclaved. This finding suggests that washing followed by autoclaving could be a viable option for molecular lab applications. Future studies should focus on optimizing the wash protocols with bleach, such as increasing bleach concentration or submerging the tips in a bleach solution before washing to rid DNA. This project contributes valuable information on best practices to guide the use of tip washing in the laboratory. Being able to clean single-use pipettes not only helps with laboratory expenses but also helps with the overall reduction of plastic waste.
