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What Is a Peptide? — Beginner’s Guide for Researchers
Peptides vs Proteins: What Is the Difference?
Both peptides and proteins are chains of amino acids, but the distinction is size:
| Category | Length | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Dipeptide | 2 amino acids | Carnosine, Anserine |
| Oligopeptide | 3–20 amino acids | BPC-157 (15 AA), Ipamorelin (5 AA) |
| Polypeptide | 20–50 amino acids | TB-500 (43 AA) |
| Protein | 50+ amino acids | HGH (191 AA), Insulin (51 AA) |
How Are Peptides Used in Research?
Research peptides are synthetic or recombinant versions of naturally occurring peptide molecules. They are studied for their roles in tissue repair, metabolic regulation, growth hormone secretion, immune modulation, and cellular signaling. Common research peptides include: BPC-157 (gastrointestinal and tissue repair research), TB-500 (cellular repair and inflammation research), Semaglutide (metabolic research), Ipamorelin (growth hormone axis research), and NAD+ (cellular energy and longevity research).
What Is Lyophilized Peptide Powder?
Most research peptides are shipped as lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Lyophilization removes water from the peptide while preserving its molecular structure, dramatically extending shelf life (months to years when frozen) compared to liquid solutions (days to weeks). Before use in research, the powder must be reconstituted — dissolved into a sterile liquid solvent.
How Do You Reconstitute a Peptide?
The standard reconstitution solvent for multi-use research peptide vials is bacteriostatic water — sterile water preserved with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. The benzyl alcohol prevents microbial contamination, allowing the reconstituted vial to be accessed multiple times over 28 days.
Full guide: Peptide Reconstitution Best Practices | Order Bacteriostatic Water
