What is the Smallest Sample Volume You Can Use in 96 Well Plates?

In high-throughput labs, 96-well plates provide numerous benefits compared to chromatography vials, such as cost efficiency and enhanced automation features. Various types of well plates are suited to different applications. For instance, you might start with a larger (1 or 2 mL) plate for the early stages of your process, then need to switch to a smaller plate for reconstitution or other steps that require less sample volume. But, what if the transfer step could be completely removed? With our TrueTaper well plates, this becomes possible—offering a significant benefit by eliminating the need for plate transfers.

What Volume of Sample Can I Use in the TrueTaper Plates?

These TrueTaper plates are available in both 1 and 2 mL well volume sizes. The tapered well bottoms hold 50 and 100 μL, respectively. And you can use even smaller sample volumes, dependent on the depth your injection needle is set to. The tables below show the well volumes at each 1 mm increment up to 20 mm from the bottom of the well for both the 1 and 2 mL plates:

As you’ll notice, the bottom portion of these plates can hold a very small amount of sample, down to 3 μL, with total well volumes of up to 2 mL when utilizing the entire well.. If this is something that is of interest to you, reach out to one of our product specialists or request a quote!

What if My Sample Isn’t Compatible With Plastic Well Plates?

We’ve still got options for you! For those of you who have been around for a while, you may have seen this topic covered in past blogs. But, in case you missed it, we offer glass vial inserts in a 96-well plate format. This is ideal for customers working with hydrophobic peptides, or other applications where the analytes would “stick” to plastic.

Well Plate Overview

Whether you’re looking for an in-stock alternative to a well plate you’re already ordering elsewhere, or need something better suited to your application, our product specialists are here to assist you. Visit our website to chat with someone real time, or reach out to our team by email for a prompt response.