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SS-31 testing in Canada

SS-31 contains a D-amino acid, and that raises an honest limit on what any mass-based method can tell you. We would rather set out the limit than let a certificate imply more than it establishes.

$249CAD

Results in about five business days from arrival

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  • Identity by LC–MS/MS
  • Purity, with the method stated
  • Net peptide content in mg
  • Chromatographic peak data
  • Certificate anyone can verify

Four residues, two of them unusual

A four-residue peptide containing D-arginine and 2',6'-dimethyltyrosine, an unusual residue that has to be sourced or made specially. Both features make the synthesis harder than four residues would suggest.

Residues
4
Formula
C32H49N9O5
Mol. weight
639.8 Da
Also called
Elamipretide, MTP-131, Bendavia

An honest limit on what mass can tell you

What mass spectrometry cannot see

D-arginine and L-arginine are mirror images. They contain the same atoms in the same numbers and weigh exactly the same. No mass spectrometer can distinguish them, because there is no mass difference to detect.

A sample synthesised with L-arginine in place of D would be a different compound with different behaviour and an identical mass spectrum. Separating them requires chiral chromatography, which is a different method and not part of a standard peptide panel.

We say this plainly because the alternative is a certificate that appears to confirm more than it does.

The dimethyltyrosine

2',6'-dimethyltyrosine is not a standard amino acid and must be obtained separately. Substituting plain tyrosine drops 28 daltons from a 640-dalton molecule — about four percent, and readily detected.

An approved comparator exists

Elamipretide has been through clinical development, so a defined reference structure exists in the literature. That is more than can be said for most of what we test.

What your certificate reports

  1. Identity — confirmed from precursor-to-product-ion transitions on a triple quadrupole instrument, not inferred from retention time.
  2. Purity — measured at the quantifying transition, with the method named on the report.
  3. Net peptide content — quantified against an external calibration curve and reported as its own figure, in milligrams. Why this is a different number from purity.
  4. Peak data — the chromatographic results behind each figure, printed on the certificate rather than held back.

Common questions

How much sample do you need?

One unopened vial. Detailed posting instructions arrive with your order confirmation, immediately after you pay.

Does it need to be shipped cold?

No. Lyophilised peptides travel safely at room temperature, which is how nearly all samples reach us.

Who actually performs the analysis?

An independent Ontario laboratory. Every certificate we issue names the facility that ran it — we are a testing service, not a laboratory, and we would rather say so than let you find out from the report.

What if the result comes back bad?

You get the result. We do not soften findings, and we do not charge differently depending on what the analysis shows.

Can I verify the certificate is genuine?

Yes. Every certificate carries an identifier that anyone can check against our records, including the vendor you bought from.

Related reading

ExplainedHow labs know what is in a vialMass spectrometry without the jargon, and why weighing beats timing.ExplainedPurity is not contentA vial can be 99% pure and hold a quarter less peptide than the label says.ExplainedWhat testing findsIncluding what analysis does not establish.

Test your ss-31

$249 CAD · about five business days from arrival · never leaves Canada

Order this test