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Lab science of handling · Part 1: Why peptides break down

Chemical breakdown: water, oxygen and light

Lesson 8.1.1 · 6 min read · Professional plan

What you'll learn

  • Peptides change chemically (new bonds) or physically (folding and clumping).
  • Hydrolysis uses water to cut the chain, and pH and buffer type affect its speed.
  • Deamidation changes Asn or Gln into a different amino acid, altering charge and shape.
  • Met and Cys oxidize most easily, and metals, light and peroxides drive oxidation.
  • Many peptide drugs are freeze-dried because they are unstable in solution.

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