diff --git a/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/plateinitializer.py b/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/plateinitializer.py
index c30f4aafeae3d5c8a0c69815f5659eb53e25e4d4..efc888860c62ed3a0b4176efe8e10107f612a872 100644
--- a/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/plateinitializer.py
+++ b/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/plateinitializer.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class PlateInitializer:
         
         lines = template.splitlines()
         lines = util.removeTrailingEmptyElements(lines)
-        tsvLists = [ util.removeTrailingEmptyElements(line.split("\t")) for line in lines ]
+        tsvLists = [ line.split("\t") for line in lines ]
                 
         self.validateLibraryDimensions(tsvLists)
         
diff --git a/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/utilfunctions.py b/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/utilfunctions.py
index f509c60c683ba1598574a2140cae9a57847baf05..06b41f084e48010b6b7c9ab5ae83de2be03b5336 100644
--- a/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/utilfunctions.py
+++ b/sanofi/dist/etc/sanofi-dropbox/utilfunctions.py
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ def removeTrailingEmptyElements(list):
     pos = len(list)
     while (pos > 0):
         pos = pos - 1
-        # do not remove tabs
-        if not list[pos].strip(' \n'):
+        if not list[pos].strip():
             del list[pos]
         else:
             break