Reagent Reservoir

Quick Answer: A reagent reservoir is a shallow, rectangular trough that holds a working volume of buffer or reagent so that a multichannel pipette can take up liquid into all its tips at once. The listing image shows a white rectangular trough.

Feeding a Multichannel Pipette

A multichannel pipette carries eight or twelve tips in a row, and it can only fill them all at the same time from a container long and wide enough for every tip to reach the liquid. Bottles and beakers do not allow that; a trough does. Pour the reagent in, lower the row of tips, and a whole column of a 96-well plate can be filled in one stroke, which is how ELISA, enzyme assays and dilution series are set up quickly.

The title gives no volume, material or sterility, and the base shape cannot be seen in the image. Many troughs have a V-shaped or sloping floor so the last of the liquid collects in a channel where tips can still reach it; this reduces the volume wasted at the bottom. Reservoirs are made in disposable polystyrene and in polypropylene, which is generally autoclavable.

Tips for the pipette come from a racked pipette tips box, and plain micropipette tips suit most buffer and reagent work.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Pour in only the volume needed for the current plate; reagent returned to the stock bottle risks contaminating it.
• Use a separate trough for each reagent, and label troughs that are washed and reused.
• Discard disposable troughs after use with hazardous or biological reagents, following local waste rules.

Applications

• Adding wash buffer, substrate and stop solution across ELISA plates
• Setting up enzyme assays in microplates in biochemistry practicals
• Preparing serial dilutions across a plate with a multichannel pipette
• Dispensing culture medium into multiwell plates in microbiology

Why Choose LabEquip

Biotechnology and life-science teaching labs moving to microplate practicals need troughs for every multichannel station. LabEquip lists this reservoir in its chemistry lab equipment range; ask about volume and sterile options through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a trough for a multichannel pipette?

All the tips must reach the liquid together. A long, shallow trough lets eight or twelve tips dip in at the same depth, which a bottle or beaker cannot do.

What is the advantage of a V-shaped floor?

It collects the last of the liquid in a narrow channel where the tips can still reach it, so less reagent is left behind. The floor shape of this trough should be confirmed, as the image does not show it.

Can the trough be reused?

Polypropylene troughs can be washed and, if needed, autoclaved for reuse with the same reagent. Disposable polystyrene troughs are meant for single use, especially with enzymes or biological material.

How much reagent should I pour in?

Enough to cover the tips comfortably for the whole plate, plus a small excess for the volume that stays in the bottom. Pouring far more wastes reagent, since what is left should not go back into the stock.

Can a single-channel pipette be used with a reservoir?

Yes. A trough is also a convenient open container for single-channel work, though for small volumes a tube or small beaker wastes less reagent.

How do I avoid bubbles when filling plates from the trough?

Draw up slowly, keep the tips below the surface while aspirating, and dispense against the wall of each well rather than forcefully into the centre. Bubbles in wells distort absorbance readings.

Last Updated: September 2026