Peptide handling & storage guidelines - How to store a ...

Receiving a peptide

Peptides are shipped at ambient temperature by standard shipment process (FEDEX, Post, DHL…).

sb-PEPTIDE peptides are delivered as lyophilized powders. The apparent volume of powder can be variable between 2 tubes containing the same quantity. This difference should not be regarded with suspicion. Some peptides, such as short sequences, are highly hygroscopic and therefore can appear as a gel or can be hardly visible.

The stability of custom peptides is not defined by sb-PEPTIDE and can be assessed upon request.

Short-term storage

Lyophilized peptides are stable at room temperature and can be kept in their initial packaging for several days to weeks. Otherwise, peptides can be stored at 4 °C or colder, according to your preference and to experimental requirements. Peptides should be protected from intense light.

Long-term storage

We recommend to store peptides at < -20 °C or -80°C for a period longer than 4 weeks.

Storage of peptides in solution

Peptides in solution are less stable than their lyophilized counterparts. It is recommended to aliquote peptide solutions before freezing them to avoid thaw-refreeze cycles, which can damage peptides (please rask for extra empty tubes when ordering – 2€/2.5$ per tube). Solution stability depends on the type of solvent, the pH (pH 5-7 is considered as optimal), and the amino acid sequence. Peptides containing Asn, Gln, Cys, Met, Trp or Tyr tend to be less stable. Stock solutions of peptides are best prepared in dry (anhydride) organic solvents to avoid premature hydrolysis. The stability of the aliquots may range from weeks to months. What is globally accepted for peptides in solution is that they are generally stable for 1-2 weeks at +4°C, for 3-4 months at -20°C and for 1 year at -80°C. sb-PEPTIDE offers to perform stability studies on your peptides, see section “peptide stability studies”

If you have to weigh the peptide, do it quickly because they are usually very hygroscopic and rapidly absorb atmospheric water. Alternatively, you can save time and ensure accuracy by ordering pre-aliquoted peptides from sb-PEPTIDE

To reconstitute a peptide, see section “peptide solubility guidelines”

Handle peptides with care!

sb-PEPTIDE is acting on behalf of its clients to produce their peptides. sb-PEPTIDE does not determine the toxicity of peptides and do not provide safety datasheets. Therefore, It cannot be held responsible in case of an accident. Nevertheless, we recommend our clients to handle peptides with caution. Lyophilized peptides can be volatile. Some peptides can be toxic for humans, animals or environment. The use of laboratory personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks and safety glasses is mandatory. Finally, it is very important to handle peptides in a clean and well-ventilated room.

Ensure that your peptides are optimally stored and enjoy your experiments!