Reconstitution

Reconstitution is the step where a lyophilised peptide is brought back into solution, typically with bacteriostatic water, sterile saline, or a buffer appropriate for the downstream assay. The choice of solvent depends on the peptide's solubility profile (some peptides require dilute acetic acid, others prefer DMSO at low concentrations) and on the experimental context. Reconstituted peptides are generally less stable than their lyophilised form — most laboratories aliquot the reconstituted stock and either store at 2-8 °C for short-term use or freeze single-use aliquots at -20 °C or -80 °C.