Peptide 101
What is a peptide?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same building blocks that make up proteins, joined together by peptide bonds.
Peptides vs proteins
The difference is mostly size. Chains of roughly 2 to 50 amino acids are usually called peptides, while longer, folded chains are proteins. Their small size lets peptides act as precise signalling molecules.
How research peptides are made
Most are produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Amino acids are added one at a time to a growing chain anchored on a resin; the finished sequence is then cleaved, purified by HPLC and freeze-dried into a stable powder.
Why purity matters
Truncated or incorrect sequences can distort experimental results. That is why we publish HPLC and mass spectrometry data for every batch we sell.
Main families of peptides
Signalling peptides
Carry messages between cells.
Carrier peptides
Transport trace elements like copper.
Hormone analogues
Mimic or modulate natural hormones.
Mitochondrial peptides
Encoded in mitochondrial DNA.
Storage & handling
- 1
Keep lyophilized vials at -20 °C, away from light.
- 2
Let the vial reach room temperature before opening.
- 3
Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water, gently, without shaking.
- 4
Refrigerate at 2-8 °C once reconstituted.