How to Store Lyophilized Peptides

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptides are far more stable than peptides in solution, but they still degrade with heat, light, moisture and time. Most of what goes wrong with a vial happens after it arrives, on a shelf or in a fridge door.

Keep sealed vials cold, dark and dry. A refrigerator (about 2 to 8 degrees C) is fine for weeks. A freezer (about -20 degrees C) is better for months.

Keep them out of direct light and away from heat sources, including the top of a fridge and a sunny bench. The original box helps with both.

Sealed lyophilized material is stable at room temperature for the length of a normal domestic shipment, which is why it does not usually ship cold. Put it in the fridge or freezer when it arrives.

Let a vial from the fridge or freezer reach room temperature before opening it. Opening a cold vial pulls moisture from the air onto the powder, and moisture is what shortens a lyophilized peptide's life.

Once a peptide is in solution its clock starts running much faster. Keep reconstituted vials refrigerated, not frozen, and avoid repeated freezing and thawing, which breaks peptides down.

Label every vial with the date it was reconstituted and its lot number, so it can still be traced later.