Sartorius Picus 2 Electronic Pipette from Sartorius Stedim Biotech - quieter multichannel dosing for long lab days

Reviewed: ad hoc news B2B & Pro desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-27, 17:08. Details in the imprint.

The Sartorius Picus 2 Electronic Pipette rests lightly in the hand, its matte handle warm from the last series of 96-well transfers as the quiet motor hums through another row of samples. A thumb press on the soft-switch button gives a clean click and a controlled column of liquid glides down without splash.

How Picus 2 handles liquids

Picus 2 is a family of electronic single and multichannel pipettes that targets routine and advanced liquid handling in research and QC labs, with volumes from roughly 0.2 µl to 1,000 µl depending on model. According to the official product information, Sartorius offers Picus 2 in versions that cover single-channel 0.2-10 µl up to multichannel 50-1,200 µl ranges, aiming at PCR setups and microplate work. The Sartorius Picus 2 product page details these volume variants and configurations.

Compared with purely mechanical pipettes, Picus 2 uses a small motor to control piston movement, which helps reduce user-dependent variability and supports repeat dosing modes for serial dilutions or plate filling. The electronics also enable programmable sequences, so a technician can predefine a pattern and run it with minimal thumb strain over long sample series.

What changes from the first Picus

The Picus 2 generation builds on the original Picus line by adding connectivity options for certain models and refining ergonomics, such as a slightly reshaped handle and updated button layout for better reach. Sartorius highlights that Picus 2 offers improved menu navigation on its display, with clearer mode icons and guided steps for functions like reverse pipetting or mixing, which helps newer staff avoid mode errors. Sartorius technical documentation outlines these usability changes versus earlier Picus devices.

In practice, the smaller motor noise and reduced vibration stand out: in a quiet PCR room, you hear just a low whirr as the piston moves, rather than a sharp mechanical snap, which makes long plate runs less tiring and lowers distraction when several operators share the bench.

Ergonomics and daily lab work

When laboratory manager Dr. Hanna Müller demonstrates Picus 2 to new hires in a training room, she often starts by asking them to close their eyes and just feel how little force is needed for the soft-switch trigger compared with a conventional pipette. The idea is to highlight ergonomic gains, as lower thumb force can matter over thousands of cycles in a shift and potentially reduce strain in repetitive tasks.

Picus 2 models typically weigh less than many competing electronic pipettes, with Sartorius marketing material pointing to a compact motor and small battery that keep overall weight down while maintaining a balanced center of gravity above the hand. That combination makes the device feel stable when reaching across a 384-well plate, with less wrist torque even when the tip cone is extended over higher racks.

Compliance and traceability options

Beyond comfort, Picus 2 also targets regulated environments: certain models offer features aligned with ISO and GLP requirements, such as mode locking and password-protected settings that help maintain validated protocols. Sartorius documentation mentions options like calibration reminders and activity logs that support traceability in audits, ensuring that pipetting parameters stay within defined ranges for critical assays. Detailed compliance notes are available in Sartorius Picus 2 brochures.

In multi-user labs, these controls can prevent accidental changes when devices rotate between benches, giving team leaders more confidence that a PCR plate prepared by one operator matches the conditions used by another, which is especially relevant in high-throughput screening or clinical diagnostics labs.

Price, availability and lab targeting

As a specialized lab instrument, Picus 2 sells through Sartorius and authorized distributors rather than consumer channels, with prices depending on configuration, channel count and region. Distributors in Europe list Picus 2 single-channel models in roughly the mid-hundreds of euros and multichannel variants higher, reflecting the motorized mechanics and compliance features, although exact prices vary by catalog and discount structure.

Availability focuses on research institutes, pharma QC labs and biotechnology companies across Europe, North America and Asia, where Picus 2 slots into Sartorius' pipetting and dispensing portfolio alongside mechanical pipettes and electronic repeaters. In many labs, it becomes the everyday workhorse for PCR setup, ELISA plates and cell culture seeding, complementing larger bioprocess systems from the same group.

Company frame and shares

Picus 2 sits at the smaller, hands-on end of Sartorius Stedim Biotech's offering, which otherwise ranges from filtration units to single use bioreactors for biologics manufacturing. According to Euronext data and recent coverage, Sartorius Stedim Biotech shares (ISIN FR0013154002) trade on Euronext Paris in euros, giving investors exposure to this mix of benchtop tools and large-scale bioprocess equipment. The Euronext listing page outlines the Sartorius Stedim Biotech share profile.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.

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