Peptides are surprisingly stable as lyophilized powders, but reconstitution changes the game. Once in solution, hydrolysis, oxidation, and adsorption to container walls all begin to erode bioactivity.
Best practices
- Store lyophilized vials at -20°C in the dark until use.
- Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water or an appropriate buffer within 30 minutes of opening.
- Aliquot into single-use volumes before freezing to avoid repeated freeze-thaw.
- Use low-bind polypropylene tubes for dilute solutions.