Studying Metabolic Syndrome at the University of Barcelona

METTLER TOLEDO’s Rainin pipettes and TerraRack™ pipette tip racks are helping PhD students in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona, Spain, to study metabolic syndrome.

Laia Oliva Lorenzo explained: “Our research involves the study of metabolic syndrome at cellular, tissue and organism levels, looking at the cellular metabolism – particularly adipocytes – of rats, and the effects of different diets and obesity. We analyze plasma and tissue samples, and carry out primary adipocyte culture and stromal cell tests.” Cecilia Ho Palma added: “We use a range of Rainin pipettes and tips for our work; single and multichannel, large and small volumes. The pipettes are very light, with a smooth action, and we have a choice of filtered and non-filtered tips, which is especially useful when working in a sterile, RNase-free environment.”

Floriana Rotondo continued: “In the past, we have reused non-recyclable tip boxes, refilling them with non-sterile tips. However, when TerraRacks were launched, we realized they were perfect for us. They are compact, easy to use and sterile, and can be stacked for storage, saving space. Another big advantage is that they can be recycled and so, from an environmental perspective, it was a natural progression to switch over to TerraRacks. We would definitely recommend them to other laboratories, they are so practical.”