In addition to instilling a consciousness about movement from one area to the following, other work skills are critical and vital to obtaining accurate results:
- Aseptic technique
- Follow the manufacturer's directions
- Pipetting skills
Due to the sensitivity of molecular assays, there is little margin for error. Cross-contamination from specimens with large numbers of organism/target nucleic acid can result from the slightest deviation in the aseptic technique.
Follow manufacturer directions
- Use aerosol barrier pipette tips or positive displacement pipette devices
- Use sterile disposable pipettes when transferring specimens to testing tubes
- Use RNase-free pipette tips; pyrogen-free tips
- Keep the racks of sterile pipette tips protected from contamination during storage and use
The attentiveness during each transfer of specimen material is critical. Only one specimen container should be opened when working with specimens.
Pipetting skills Although many assays using pre-prepared master mixes have been introduced, some reagent preparation is always required. This often entails transferring tiny volumes, which leaves no margin of error during pipetting. Attentiveness to pipetting accuracy is a must.
