Working definitions of the terms that appear most often across quotations, certificates and specification sheets in peptide procurement.
| Term | Working definition |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis (COA) | The release document for a specific lot, stating identity, purity, method, specification limits, release date and releasing analyst. |
| Lot / batch number | The identifier linking a delivered unit to the synthesis and release records for that production run. |
| RP-HPLC | Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The standard method for determining peptide purity, reported as area percentage. |
| Area percentage | The proportion of total peak area attributable to the main peak at a stated wavelength. Method-dependent and therefore not comparable across differing conditions. |
| Mass spectrometry (MS) | An analytical technique used to confirm identity by comparing observed molecular mass against the theoretical value for the intended structure. |
| ESI | Electrospray ionisation. The ionisation mode commonly used for peptide mass determination. |
| Molecular weight (MW) | The calculated mass of the intended structure, expressed in daltons or kDa. Used as the reference point for identity confirmation. |
| Lyophilized | Freeze-dried. The usual supplied form for peptide reference materials, providing improved stability during storage and transport. |
| Reconstitution | Dissolving lyophilized material in a solvent to produce a working solution, performed under the receiving laboratory’s validated procedure. |
| Retest date | The date to which stability data supports retention of the lot, stated on the certificate. |
| Retained sample | A stored portion of the lot held for later comparison, query resolution or verification. |
| MOQ | Minimum order quantity. Catalogue reference materials can be ordered in single units; bulk and custom supply is negotiated per project. |
| Specification | The defined set of attributes — identity, purity, form, quantity and packaging — that a batch is released against. |
| Release criteria | The numerical limits a batch must meet before it is documented and dispatched. |
| Batch traceability | The record linking a delivered unit to its synthesis, purification, filling and retained sample information. |
| Cold chain | A temperature-controlled logistics arrangement with a recorded temperature profile for the duration of transit. |
| Research use only (RUO) | A use restriction indicating the material is supplied exclusively for laboratory research and further manufacturing use, and not for human or veterinary use. |
| Framework agreement | Pre-agreed supply terms covering recurring orders, quantities and documentation standards for an institutional buyer. |
A Certificate of Analysis is the starting point, not the whole file. This note sets out the documents worth requesting and the point at which to request them.
Purity and identity figures are only meaningful alongside the method that produced them. This note covers how the values are generated and what to check.
Packaging, temperature regime and documentation all affect whether material arrives in the condition it was released in — and whether it can be booked in without a query.
Send the catalogue reference or target sequence, required purity, quantity and destination. The procurement desk returns a formal quotation with the documentation package and lead time.