A pipette-loaded bioassay includes a measurement probe and a pipette tip. The measurement probe includes a probe head configured to launch an incident test signal and a connecting end configured to receive the incident test signal from a signal source. The pipette tip includes a sample interrogation region which is electromagnetically coupled to the probe head, the sample interrogation region configured to retain a plug of sample solution and constructed from a material which is substantially transparent to the incident test signal. The incident test signal electromagnetically couples through the sample interrogation region and to the molecular or cellular events occurring within the sample solution. The interaction of the incident test signal with the molecular or cellular events produces a modulated test signal which can be recovered and used to identify the molecular or cellular events occurring in a subsequently tested sample.