Hydrolysis
Definition
Cleavage of the peptide backbone by water, which proceeds slowly in solution and faster at extremes of pH or temperature. It is the reason a lyophilised powder outlasts the solution made from it by a wide margin.
Terms used in this definition
Other entries this definition refers to.
What this means for research sourcing
Correct storage preserves peptide integrity between experiments. Volta product pages list compound-specific storage conditions and shelf life.
Related Terms in Storage & Stability
Desiccant
A moisture-absorbing material, usually silica gel, packed alongside a dry product to keep ambient humidity away from it. Residual moisture is what drives hydrolysis in a powder, so the sachet is doing real work.
Shelf Life
How long a material stays within its specification under stated storage conditions. The figure is meaningless without the conditions attached, and it is established by stability study rather than estimated.
Beyond-Use Date (BUD)
The date after which a compounded preparation should no longer be used, set by the compounder from applicable stability data. It is not an expiry date, which is assigned to a manufactured product from its own stability programme.
Retest Date
The date by which stored material should be re-examined against its specification rather than discarded. It is used where stability data support continued use after confirmation, and it is a different claim from an expiry date.
Expiry Date
The date after which material is no longer considered to meet its specification. Unlike a retest date it is not extended by a further test, and it is only meaningful alongside the storage conditions it was established under.
Stability
Whether a material still meets its specification after storage, established by testing over time rather than assumed. A stability claim is only valid for the conditions it was measured under, which is why a temperature always accompanies it.
Freeze-Thaw Cycle
One round of freezing and thawing, during which ice crystal growth and the concentration of solutes at the freezing front push peptide molecules together. Repeated rounds degrade a material measurably, and aliquoting is the standard way to avoid them.
Aggregation
Peptide molecules associating into clumps under heat, agitation or repeated freezing. Aggregates lose activity, scatter light enough to make a solution look faintly cloudy, and are more immunogenic than the monomer.