Peptide storage and handling

A peptide is only as good as its condition when it is used. Heat, light, moisture and time all degrade it, so storage and handling are part of quality, not an afterthought.

This guide covers the practical steps for keeping material in good condition from the moment a shipment arrives. It is handling guidance for laboratory work only. It gives no preparation amounts and no instructions for use.

On arrival

Open the shipment promptly, check the contents against the packing slip, and move the vials into the storage the product page gives without delay.

Lyophilized vials

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptides are generally the most stable form. Most are listed for storage at −20 °C, desiccated, and some also need protecting from light: each product page gives the conditions for that product. Keep vials sealed until they are needed, and avoid moving them in and out of cold storage.

Once in solution

Once a peptide is in solution its stability window is generally much shorter than in lyophilized form. Keep solutions cold and out of the light, label them clearly with the date, and follow your own laboratory’s validated procedures and the published literature for the specific compound.

Light, temperature and time

• Keep material out of direct light and away from heat sources.
• Keep the time vials spend at room temperature short.
• Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
• Record when each solution was prepared and how long it has been in use.

Label, log and keep the paperwork

Good records are part of good handling. Note the lot number, the date received and the storage conditions, and keep the certificate for each lot with your records, so the paperwork always maps to the material on your shelf.