ARTEL announces that Death Valley National Park will be the site of Mission #3 of the Extreme Pipetting Expedition. At Death Valley, located in the desert spanning Nevada and California, ARTEL will test how dry and hot environmental conditions alter pipetted volumes. Dry heat was chosen as the scientific focus of Mission #3 because many laboratory technicians commonly encounter this condition in their work environments. For example, laboratories using analytical instruments, ovens, incubators, freezers, and other devices using high power or open flames are prone to heat and low humidity. Dry heat can also be contributed by heating and air-conditioning systems not equipped with humidifiers. To ensure pipetting accuracy and precision and strengthen data integrity, it is essential that laboratory scientists understand and compensate for this source of error.
ARTEL will release the results from Mission #3 at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2007 Annual Meeting and Exhibits (booth #54), November 7-10, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

A 3.3 million acre desert, Death Valley was selected as the site for Mission #3 because it is iconic for its hot and dry climate. Surrounded by mountains, the valley captures and retains extreme amounts of heat to create one of the hottest environments on earth, commonly exceeding 49oC (120oF) Death Valley is also the driest locale in the United States, receiving fewer than two inches of rain annually.

The Extreme Pipetting Expedition is a multi-phase, year-long scientific study to illustrate the impact of laboratory environmental conditions on pipetting performance and data integrity. Previous missions explored how barometric pressure and how pipetting warm and cold liquids affect data integrity More information can be found at www.artel-usa.com/extreme.

ARTEL is the worldwide leader in liquid handling quality assurance. ARTEL manufactures the most accurate, precise and easy-to-use systems for ensuring data integrity in liquid volume measurement. ARTEL systems, based on proprietary Ratiometric Photometry, conform to ISO 8655-7 and provide NIST-traceable results. In addition, ARTEL provides liquid handling quality assurance support and consultation services including on-site pipetting technique training and certification for pipette users and laboratory managers, as well as Liquid Handler Performance Verification services for automated laboratories. Since 1982, ARTEL technology has been proven in daily use in thousands of laboratories including pharmaceutical, clinical, forensic, public health and environmental. Leading institutions such as Amgen, ARUP, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Centers for Disease Control, DuPont, Eli Lilly, FBI, Genentech, Genomic Health, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Merck, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble and U.S. FDA depend on ARTEL technology to help them meet their objectives for quality and productivity. For more information, contact ARTEL at 25 Bradley Drive, Westbrook, ME 04092; Tel: 207-854-0860; Fax: 207-854-0867; Website: www.artel-usa.com.

I bet there'll be a big crowd travelling out to watch this event... ;)

I suspect the crowds will be larger than the X-prize spaceship launch...

However, you have to admit this would be a very cool study to be a part of... I mean come on a trip to Death Valley to evaluate your pipette system. It doesn't get any better than that!