Cold chain storage in a UK lab

Lyophilised peptides are far more forgiving than solutions. Sealed and dry, most tolerate ambient shipping for several days without measurable loss, which is why our parcels travel without ice packs across the UK.

For anything longer than a few weeks, move sealed vials to a freezer at −20°C. Keep them in the original carton: light is a slower enemy than temperature but an enemy nonetheless.

Reconstituted material belongs in the fridge at 2–8°C and should be treated as short-lived. Plan your work so a vial is used within its window rather than repeatedly warmed and cooled.

Avoid freeze-thaw cycles on solutions. Each cycle concentrates solutes at the ice boundary and stresses the peptide backbone. If long-term storage of a solution is unavoidable, aliquot first so you thaw only what you need.

Domestic fridges swing more than lab fridges. If you are storing material at home for a bench project, keep a cheap min-max thermometer beside the vials and check it weekly.