Kris, Don't let Franco scare you!

Pulling pipettes is simple - it is also trial and error.  Adjusting the
heat, delay and magnetic pull strength alters the tip diameter, shape and
resistance (probably not relevant in your case).  That said, of course you
want to respect others' property like Franco said.  If this is going to be
an ongoing need, and you have access to a little bit of money, there is a
simple Narishige pipette puller available on ebay for $495: 
http://cgi.ebay.com/NARISHIGE-PB-7-MICROPIPETTE-PULLER_W0QQitemZ270367377357QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item270367377357&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1240|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting.
 If the link doesn't work, just search for "micropipette".  

The micro capillary pipettes are very cheap (perhaps $10/100).  Ask the
people in Physiology for their supplier.

Good Luck

George


George Ring, Ph.D.
Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 E. Adams St.
Syracuse NY  13210
Tel. (315) 464-8595
FAX (315) 464-8535
email: [log in to unmask]





>>> On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 10:24 AM, in message <[log in to unmask]>,
Franco Del
Principe <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
> Dear Kris and Martin
> 
> Martin's proposition is excellent.
> 
> Electrophysiologists have the appropriate borosilicate glass and 
> micropipette pullers. However, do NOT try to manipulate the parameters 
> yourself!!! Always ask an experienced user to pull them for you.
> 
> The puller is the electrophysiologist's sanctuary and the pipette's 
> shape and properties a science of its own. You mess with it and it's 
> likely you're going to be killed. More so if you break the heating 
> filament... ;-)
> 
> Just my 2 cents
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Franco
> 
> Martin Wessendorf wrote:
>> Dear Kris--
>> 
>> Rather than try to buy what you need, you might just go over to the 
>> Physiology Department in the medical school and ask who the 
>> electrophysiologists are.  An electrophysiologist will have devices that

>> can pull pipettes to a wide range of diameters.  My guess is that you'll

>> want to find someone pulling patch-clamp electrodes--those tend to be 
>> about 1 micron--and then see what you can do by manipulating the pulling

>> parameters.  Or even easier, just take a too-small pipette and bump it 
>> under microscopic control against a piece of glass--you can break the 
>> tip to just about anything you need.
>> 
>> Good luck!
>> 
>> Martin Wessendorf
>> 
>> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>>> Hello everyone,
>>>
>>> I want to microinject human adipose stem cells with microbeads that 
>>> range in size from 0.5-2.8 microns in diameter.  I am using a 
>>> Narishige IM-9B microinjector.  This company does not sell 
>>> pre-fabricated pipettes.  Can anyone recommend a company/brand of 
>>> microinjection pipettes that are useful for microinjection of 
>>> microbeads?  Thanks for any advice you can offer.
>>>
>>> Kris Ford
>>> Graduate Student
>>> Biomedical Engineering
>>> University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
>>> Phone# 919-962-3296
>>