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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