Storage & handling

On arrival

Inspect the shipment before storing it. Check that the vial is intact, the stopper and seal are undisturbed, and the lot code on the vial matches the certificate enclosed in the box.

If anything looks compromised, photograph it and contact us within 72 hours of delivery rather than putting it into storage.

Storage conditions

Lyophilized peptides are supplied as dry powder, which is the most stable form for transport and storage.

• Long term: −20°C, frozen
• Shorter term: 2–8°C, refrigerated
• Protect from light in all cases
• Keep vials sealed until use

Bacteriostatic water is the exception. Store it at controlled room temperature, 20–25°C, protected from light, and do not freeze it.

Why freeze-drying matters

Removing water slows the degradation pathways that act on peptides in solution. A lyophilized vial tolerates the temperature swings of a shipping network far better than a reconstituted one, which is why material ships dry and is reconstituted at the point of use.

Handling in the laboratory

Allow a vial to reach room temperature before opening it. Opening a cold vial invites condensation, and introducing moisture into lyophilized powder is the fastest way to shorten its usable life.

Use clean technique appropriate to your facility’s procedures. Avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles; aliquot instead if a protocol requires multiple withdrawals.

Record the lot code in your own records at the point of first use. It is the only reliable link between your data and the analytical documentation.

Diluents

Compatibility between a diluent and a given compound is the responsibility of the researcher. Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative, which inhibits bacterial growth in a repeatedly accessed container but does not make a preparation sterile and is not compatible with every compound.

Shelf life

Stored as directed, lyophilized material remains suitable for research use well beyond the point at which a reconstituted preparation would. We do not publish a universal expiry figure, because usable life depends on the compound, the storage conditions actually applied, and the tolerance of your assay.

The certificate records the condition of the material at release. It does not warrant condition after the vial has left our control.

Disposal

Dispose of unused material and packaging according to your institution’s procedures and applicable local regulations. These products are laboratory materials and should not enter general waste streams where local rules prohibit it.