Custom peptide synthesis

Custom peptide synthesis services with a flexible range of scales and purities and a diverse spectrum of modifications. Our ISO 9001-certified laboratory has been providing custom synthesis services for over 50 years and is trusted by pharma, biotech and academia worldwide.

Request a quote

Home » What we do » Peptide Synthesis

Custom peptide synthesis services

Our ISO 9001-certified laboratory specialises in custom peptide synthesis and has served academics and commercial clients worldwide for over 50 years.

We are focused on quality and customer satisfaction. We deliver custom peptides according to stringent analytical specifications, and the purified peptides undergo QC with HPLC and mass spectrometry.

Whether you require 1mg or multigram amounts with purities from screening grade to >95%, our peptide synthesis service is used by pharma, academia, and biotech companies worldwide. Ideal for antibody generation, drug and vaccine development, DNA-peptide conjugation, and protein research, our scientists are experts in complex custom peptide synthesis.

Fast, reliable turnaround

Our custom peptide synthesis services work within industry-leading turnaround times, with standard small-scale peptides completed within 7-10 working days.

Direct contact with experts

From your initial enquiry right through to the design and synthesis of the peptide, our highly skilled specialists will offer you professional and prompt advice throughout your project.

Bespoke service

We synthesise custom peptides with a flexible range of scales (from 1 mg to multi-gram amounts) and purities to match your specifications. Additional services such as solubility testing, aliquoting, exact concentration determination, and analytical testing are also available upon request.

Expertise across many industries

We routinely work with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, research institutes, university academics and contract manufacturing companies.

ISO 9001 CERTIFIED

ISO 9001-certified laboratory in the UK with longstanding expertise of 50 years serving clients globally.

We offer additional options for peptide identification using amino acid analysis, which provides net peptide content, and N-terminal protein sequencing, which provides the order of the amino acids in the peptide sequence. You can also buy peptides from our laboratory, which are ready to ship worldwide.

Request a quote

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

We have used Alta Bioscience repeatedly, which by itself shows how satisfied we have been with their services. Their scientific and technical skills are outstanding. All the weird molecules that we have ordered have been synthesized professionally and delivered on time, and naturally the molecules have always met our specifications. Our communication with Alta Bioscience has been extraordinarily easy. Very often, our e-mail was replied to within just a few minutes with a friendly, attentive and well-thought-through answer. Dr Fox and his staff are real cooks out there, and we consider Alta Bioscience to be an irreplaceable cornerstone of our ambitious R&D project.

Chief Executive Officer

Scandinavian Pharmaceutical Company

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

I have been using the services of Alta Bioscience for around 9 years now. I have always found the company to be friendly, reliable and cost-effective, with quick turnaround time and good quality products. In addition, if there has ever been a problem relating to an order – though rare – Alta has always got in touch with me personally to sort things out with minimum fuss.

Senior Scientist

HM Government (UK)

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Alta Bioscience fulfils the most important criteria I look for when purchasing oligos and peptides, i.e. quick turnaround, competitive prices and trustworthy products. As an added bonus, Alta’s friendly, communicative staff alert me promptly of any difficulties during synthesis and will provide professional, scientific and technical advice to the end user to help resolve any problems. When I place an order with Alta I do so with complete confidence.

Research Coordinator

UK Medical Charity

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Finding Alta Bioscience has increased the efficiency of our discovery and development programs. We have been highly satisfied with Alta’s helpfulness and ability to deliver key compounds at the right scale, to the specifications and on time. Alta fills a niche in the market that mixes expertise with cost-effectiveness and still delivers a high level of service.

Senior Chemist

Danish Pharmaceutical Company

Custom peptide synthesis services

We offer the following custom peptide synthesis services to customers worldwide from our ISO 9001-certified laboratory.

Custom peptide synthesis services

Linear peptides from trimers up to peptides lengths of >99 amino acids (sequence dependent) of various complexity

Custom peptides with a diverse spectrum of modifications and post-translational modifications

Peptide antigens for antibody generation (e.g., MAPs peptides with reusable affinity columns suitable for serum purification, BSA or KLH conjugated peptides)

DNA oligo-peptide conjugates

Peptides with fluorescent tags incorporated at both C and N termini

Peptide libraries and microarrays – Useful to generate overlapping peptides for screening large proteins and for epitope studies

Structurally constrained peptides (e.g., head to tail cyclisation, disulfide bridged peptides, stapled peptides)

Microarrays with individual peptides immobilised on a microscope slide

Isotopically labelled peptides

Peptide synthesis applications

Peptide Synthesis being carried out in the laboratory by one of our Peptide Chemists Peptides are used in various applications and have distinct advantages over proteins in that they can be easily defined and synthesised quickly and consistently. Peptides used as therapeutics are a fast-growing area, with an increasing number of peptides being used in drug therapies, vaccines, and cosmetics. Coupled with DNA, peptide cargo can easily transport into cells (DNA-peptide conjugates).

The high flexibility and well-established methods for peptide synthesis allow the production of carefully designed custom peptides that can be used for:

The generation of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies when used as peptide antigens;
Determining the specificity of an antibody in competitive binding assays;
The contract manufacture of LFD devices;
ELISA assays as positive controls and enzyme immunological assays in inhibition and interaction studies;
Epitope studies when screening proteins;
Drug discovery;
Biological structure and function when used as probes;
Interaction studies, e.g. protein-protein or ligand-receptor;
NMR studies;
Drugs in clinical trials;
The targeted delivery of drugs when used as drug delivery systems.

Frequently asked questions about custom peptide synthesis

How long does custom peptide synthesis take?

Peptide synthesis turnaround depends on the number of peptides required, purification options, and the scale and complexity of each peptide.

AltaBioscience offers a fast turnaround for standard small-scale peptides, with completion generally in 7 – 10 working days. We can synthesise up to 576 non-purified peptides per batch in 6 – 8 working days with our Episcan peptide synthesiser.

Large-scale, complex, large numbers or highly purified peptides will extend the turnaround time. However, we appreciate that projects may run under high time constraints and are happy to discuss turnaround times and how best we can help you meet your deadlines.
How do I request a quotation/place an order?
What is the delivery form of peptides?
How do you ship peptides?
What information does the sample tube label contain?
How do we measure the concentration of peptides and proteins?

Determining the concentration of peptides or proteins can be achieved by either measuring the UV absorbance at 280 nm, reacting the proteins or peptides with dyes and/or metal ions in colorimetric assays (e.g., Bradford assay, Lowry assay, BSA assay) or by performing amino acid analysis, the latter being considered as the gold standard method.

Amino acid analysis is usually performed when the concentration cannot be determined by UV absorbance due to the lack of aromatic tryptophan and tyrosine residues in the proteins or peptides. Although amino acid analysis requires specialist equipment, it is a robust and highly sensitive method that quantifies the concentration of each individual amino acid in a sample. The protein or peptide concentration is therefore obtained by summing up the concentrations of the single amino acids. Amino acid analysis also has many advantages over colorimetric assays that can suffer from interferences when high concentrations of detergents or chaotropic agents are used. In addition, the dyes/metal ions in colorimetric assays may preferentially react with certain amino acids, whereas the amino acids react equally during the derivatisation step when performing amino acid analysis.

At AltaBioscience, we provide a comprehensive peptide analysis service. In addition to our peptide synthesis service, we also offer amino acid analysis for the absolute protein quantification of proteins and custom peptides. Our amino acid analysis service is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
How do you generally purify your peptides?

Peptides are purified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to achieve the desired purity level. This technique separates the target peptide from synthesis by-products and other impurities based on differences in their affinity to the chromatography media.
What purity is required for custom peptides?

At AltaBioscience, we provide various purity options ranging from crude-desalted to over 95% purity. Peptide synthesis may generate impurities alongside the desired peptide, such as truncated sequences, deletion sequences, incomplete deprotected sequences, racemised peptides or compounds from side reactions such as aspartimide formation or cysteine oxidation.

When ordering custom peptides, it is important to check whether the requested peptide purity level will suit the intended research applications. Crude peptides, without any purification, such as those obtained from the Episcan scale, are suitable for screening studies where a large number of peptides are initially tested before undertaking further studies. Standard purification to 80%-95% is suitable for applications such as polyclonal antibody generation and in-vitro assays, and peptide blocking studies, whereas higher purity over 95% is usually required for NMR studies, X-ray crystallography, and enzyme and structural studies.

Our peptide chemists can guide suitable purity levels for your required application. Contact our experts or learn more peptide purification and peptide analysis.
What purity do I need for my application?

At AltaBioscience, we provide various purity options ranging from unpurified to over 95% purity. Peptide synthesis may generate impurities alongside the desired peptide, such as truncated sequences, deletion sequences, incomplete deprotected sequences, racemised peptides or compounds from side reactions such as aspartimide formation or cysteine oxidation.

When ordering custom peptides, checking whether the requested peptide purity level will suit the intended research applications is important. Crude peptides, without any purification, such as those obtained from the Episcan scale, are suitable for screening studies where a large number of peptides are initially tested before undertaking further studies. Standard purification to 80%-95% is suitable for applications such as polyclonal antibody generation, in-vitro assays, and peptide blocking studies, whereas higher purity over 95% is usually required for NMR studies, X-ray crystallography, and enzyme and structural studies.

Our peptide chemists can recommend suitable purity levels for your application. Contact our experts or learn more about peptide purification and peptide analysis.
What does 95% purity mean for my peptide?

When we say a peptide is 95% pure, it indicates that 95% of the material is the target peptide sequence. The remaining 5% comprises impurities such as truncated sequences, deletion sequences, incompletely deprotected sequences, peptides resulting from side reactions, or other impurities. These are common by-products or residuals from the synthesis process.
What is the purity of "crude"?

AltaBioscience deems peptides with purity levels below 70% as crude. Crude peptide preparations are useful for preliminary studies or applications where high purity is not critical, as they are less costly and faster to produce than purified peptides. However, further purification is usually necessary to isolate the target peptide from the mixture of other components for detailed biochemical studies or therapeutic applications.
What is the net peptide content?

It is crucial to distinguish between net peptide content and total peptide content. The dry peptide powder you receive typically consists not only of peptides but also other substances such as residual water, absorbed solvents and counterions. The total peptide content (or gross weight) refers to the weight of this entire mixture. In contrast, the net peptide weight represents the actual weight of the peptide itself within the sample. Net peptide content typically ranges from 50-80% of the gross weight. It is different from purity, which specifically measures the percentage of the target peptide sequence within the peptide component of your sample. Our amino acid analysis service can accurately quantify the net peptide content of your peptides. Contact our experts at info@altabioscience.com for more information.
How do you calculate theoretical net peptide content?

Theoretical net peptide content (calculated assuming that counterions are the only non-peptide components present in your peptide sample) can be estimated by dividing the molecular weight of the peptide by a sum of its molecular weight and the number of trifluoroacetate counterions required to neutralise the peptide multiplied by the molecular weight of the TFA counterion (MW= 114).

Theoretical net peptide content (%) = MW/ (MW+114x) with x the number of TFA counterions.

In practice, peptides also contain residual water and absorbed solvents, so the net peptide content is usually determined by quantitative amino acid analysis for accurate results.
How do I accurately measure the concentration of peptides and proteins?

Determining the concentration of peptides or proteins can be achieved by measuring the UV absorbance at 280 nm, reacting the proteins or peptides with dyes and/or metal ions in colorimetric assays (e.g., Bradford assay, Lowry assay, BSA assay), or by performing amino acid analysis, the latter being considered as the gold standard method.

Amino acid analysis is usually performed when UV absorbance cannot determine the concentration due to the lack of aromatic tryptophan and tyrosine residues in the proteins or peptides. Although amino acid analysis requires specialist equipment, it is a robust and highly sensitive method that quantifies the concentration of each individual amino acid in a sample. The protein or peptide concentration is therefore obtained by summing up the concentrations of the single amino acids. Amino acid analysis also has many advantages over colorimetric assays that can suffer from interferences when high concentrations of detergents or chaotropic agents are used. In addition, the dyes/metal ions in colorimetric assays may preferentially react with certain amino acids, whereas the amino acids react equally during the derivatisation step when performing amino acid analysis.

At AltaBioscience, we provide a comprehensive peptide analysis service. In addition to our peptide synthesis service, we offer for the absolute protein quantification of proteins and custom peptides. Our amino acid analysis service is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
How stable is a peptide?

Peptides are generally stable at room temperature for up to a few weeks. For long-term storage, it is best to keep them in a dry and dark place at -20°C. Once reconstituted, peptides should be used within a few days. The stability can decrease if peptides are kept in solution or at room temperature. Protect peptides from light and moisture to maximise stability.
What type of chemistry do you use?
What direction are the peptides synthesised?
What is the maximum length of peptide you can produce?
Why are highly hydrophobic peptides difficult to produce?

Highly hydrophobic peptides present significant challenges in production primarily due to their tendency to aggregate and strong adherence to chromatographic columns. This aggregation complicates the synthesis process as these peptides can form clusters resistant to conventional synthesis techniques. Additionally, their strong affinity for the material in chromatography columns makes them difficult to purify. The adherence complicates the separation process and increases the risk of peptide loss and contamination, further impeding the efficient production of pure peptides. These properties necessitate specialised methods and conditions to synthesise and purify highly hydrophobic peptides effectively.
Can you synthesise peptides with several consecutive proline residues?

Proline is a unique proteinogenic amino acid with a cyclic structure. Its nitrogen atom is locked within a five-member ring, and peptides containing at least three consecutive proline residues are known to form polyproline helices, a feature that facilitates protein folding. Synthesis can be challenging due to steric hindrance and the slow rate of peptide bond formation, but our chemists have experience synthesising such peptides. Contact info@altabioscience.com to discuss your requirements.
Can you make peptides with N-terminal glutamine?

Peptides synthesised with an N-terminal glutamine residue are usually unstable during cleavage. Under acidic conditions, they may undergo cyclisation and form pyroglutamate, a five-membered ring lactam. We can acetylate the N-terminus, remove or substitute the N-terminal glutamine, or add another amino acid after glutamine to avoid this unwanted reaction.
How can the hydrophilicity of peptides be improved?
How do you choose the best antigen for antibody generation?

Choosing the best antigen for antibody production involved analysing the target protein’s sequence to identify immunogenic regions. These regions should be surface-accessible and hydrophilic. The selected peptides are then synthesised with key modifications, such as conjugated to a carrier protein to enhance the immune response.
How can I enhance the cell permeability of my peptide?

Enhancing the cell permeability of peptides can be achieved through various strategies aimed at improving their ability to cross the cell membrane. At AltaBioscience, we can incorporate sequences known as cell-penetrating peptides, such as Tat peptide or penetratin, into your peptide sequence. These peptides have inherent cell-penetrating properties and facilitate the internalisation of cargo molecules into cells. Another strategy is to conjugate lipid moieties (e.g., fatty acids) to the peptide sequence, which can enhance membrane interactions and promote cell uptake.
How can I increase peptide stability in cells?

To increase peptide stability in cells, you can introduce chemical modifications such as D-amino acids, acetylated N-terminus and amidated C-terminus to enhance resistance to proteases. Forming cyclic peptides can also improve stability by reducing conformational accessibility. Additionally, incorporating non-natural amino acids can further protect the peptide from degradation.
Which salt form should I choose for my peptide?

Unless requested, our peptides are generally provided as TFA salts. This is because we use trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to cleave the peptide from the resin. We also add small amounts of TFA during the reversed-phase HPLC purification of peptides to help improve their solubility and HPLC separation. Although lyophilisation can remove most free TFA, it also binds to basic amino acids and to the N-termini of peptides, resulting in peptides typically being isolated as TFA salts. TFA counterions can be toxic and adversely affect biological assays. To mitigate this, we offer the option to substitute TFA counterions with other alternatives such as acetate or hydrochloride (HCl) when you opt for our TFA salt exchange service.
Why does the peptide quantity appear different from other peptides of the same amount?

The appearance of a peptide can vary significantly depending on its sequence and should not be directly compared with other peptides. Peptides are typically delivered as a white lyophilised powder, and differences in appearance can arise due to various factors in the lyophilisation process. For instance, the freezing cycle rate can affect the peptide’s density; a slower freezing rate may result in a more compacted form. Additionally, varying amounts of water may evaporate during the drying phase, making the peptide appear less voluminous to the naked eye. The pressure applied during the process can also vary between batches. Although these factors might alter the visual appearance of the peptide in the vial, they do not affect the amount of peptide, which is precisely measured using an analytical balance.
Why is the peptide invisible in the vial?
If the peptide appears invisible in the vials, there are several explanations:

Small Quantity: The amount of peptide might be too small to see with the naked eye. It is advisable to dissolve the peptide in the provided vials and proceed directly with your experiments.

Adherence to the Vial: The peptides may have adhered to the walls or cap of the vial. To ensure the peptide is collected, it is recommended to centrifuge or gently shake the vial before starting your experiments.

Water Absorption: Hydrophilic peptides may absorb water during transit or storage, making them less visible. To address this issue, it is recommended that the peptide be re-lyophilised before use.
How do I handle peptides conjugated with dyes?

All dyes must always be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid photobleaching. As a precautionary measure, AltaBioscience wraps foil around the containers during synthesis and workup. As with most biochemical molecules, dyed peptides are best frozen when unused.
How should a peptide solution be prepared, or how do I reconstitute my peptide?

To reconstitute your peptide, first determine the appropriate solvent based on the peptide’s properties. For peptides with high solubility in water, use sterile distilled water. For hydrophobic peptides, use organic solvents like DMSO or acetonitrile. Dissolve the peptide gently by swirling or inverting the solution, avoiding vigorous shaking that may cause degradation. For more information, read our article.
How do I dissolve my peptide?

Peptide solubility as a guide is determined by the overall charge of the peptide and the environment it exists. Changing the pH can help solubilise some peptides.

Care is needed when selecting your solvent, and consideration should be given to the assay in which you intend to use it; for instance, DMSO is best avoided for peptides containing cysteine, methionine and tryptophan, as it may cause oxidation. As a general rule, use volatile solvents, which can be removed by freeze drying to recover the peptide for further studies.

AltaBioscience offers a solubility test. This service is suitable for individual purified peptide orders greater than 10mg, as it requires additional peptides. Read more on peptide solubility and storage.

Useful links

Peptide libraries and microarrays
Buy peptides and antibodies
Peptide solubility and storage
Design considerations in the synthesis of peptides
Peptides for raising antibodies
Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates for Life Science research
DNA-Peptide Conjugates

Peptide Oligonucleotide Conjugates for Life Science Research

The conjugation of peptides to oligos is highly advantageous. It broadens their applications by enhancing them with additional unique properties. Read more.

3 May 2023

Histone peptides and microarrays

AltaBioscience stock a selection of individual histone peptides and 5 different histone peptide sets. The peptide sequences are derived from human histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 and include a range of modified amino acids.

3 May 2023

Histone Peptides

AltaBioscience has provided custom synthesis of histone peptides from human H2a, H2b, H3 and H4 regions for many years, having collaborated with the original scientist who developed the idea for histone assays.

3 May 2023

Peptide antigens for antibody generation

Suitable for both monoclonal antibody production and polyclonal antibody production, our peptide synthesis experts can assist with peptide antigen design using our epitope design software thereby suggesting antigenic peptide regions likely to provide the best immune response.

14 December 2022

Influenza virus peptides

Although there are ways to combat influenza viruses, they have evolved to mutate frequently in order to evade the host’s immune system.

Custom peptide synthesis

Custom peptide synthesis services

Fast, reliable turnaround

Direct contact with experts

Bespoke service

Expertise across many industries

ISO 9001 CERTIFIED

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Hear what our peptide synthesis customers say

Custom peptide synthesis services

Peptide synthesis applications

Frequently asked questions about custom peptide synthesis

Useful links

Ask our chemists a question

Related articles

Peptide Oligonucleotide Conjugates for Life Science Research

Histone peptides and microarrays

Histone Peptides

Peptide antigens for antibody generation

Influenza virus peptides

Services

Information

AltaBioscience Ltd