Freeze-Thaw Cycles
Also known as: freeze-thaw · freeze thaw · thaw cycle
Repeated freezing and thawing that degrades peptides; minimised by aliquoting so each portion is thawed only once.
A freeze-thaw cycle is one round of freezing a solution and thawing it again. Each cycle stresses a peptide — ice crystals and shifting concentration can damage the molecule — so repeated cycles progressively reduce potency.
This is why long-term stored solutions are divided into single-use aliquots: each is thawed only once, and the rest of the material stays frozen and intact.
RELATED TERMS
Aliquot
A measured portion of a solution divided off for separate use — e.g. splitting a reconstituted vial to limit freeze-thaw cycles.
Cold Chain
Keeping temperature-sensitive peptides consistently cool from dispatch to storage to preserve integrity.
Lyophilised
Freeze-dried. Peptides are supplied as a lyophilised powder/pellet for stability, then reconstituted before study.
Stability
How well a peptide resists degradation over time under given conditions — the property that dictates storage and handling.
Degradation
The breakdown of a peptide into inactive fragments — by hydrolysis, oxidation or enzymes — reducing purity and potency.
Educational content, not medical advice. All products supplied for research purposes only — not for human consumption.