From 2007.igem.org

Prepare to begin
This topic is adressed to all our informaticacs-physics-I'm-afraid-of-the-bench fellows. So, if you finally found the courage to affront the pipettes, 1µl filter tips and nicely smelling bacteria, welcome!

• What a pipette is? (see image)

Pipettes dispense various volumes. The plunger button indicates the maximum volume (microliters) that the pipette is designed to handle. For example, P-20 will handle up to 20 microliters.
The digital volume indicator is read from top to bottom. For P-2, P-10, P-20, P-100, and P-200, black digits indicate microliters and red digits tenths and hundredths of microliters. For P-1000, red digits indicate milliliters and black digits microliters.
What to do when you have it in you hand?