Frequently asked questions

Peptides are short chains of amino acids - the same building blocks as proteins, but smaller. Research peptides are reference-grade synthetic versions used in laboratory studies, in-vitro work, and structural research. Kovalabs supplies them strictly for research and analytical purposes.

No. Every product on this site is sold for laboratory research only and must not be used in humans or animals. Our peptides are not pharmaceuticals, supplements, food, or cosmetics, and we do not sell to anyone purchasing them for personal use.

Yes - purchasing research-grade peptides for legitimate laboratory work is lawful in the UK. Some specific peptides are regulated under separate legislation, so we restrict our catalogue to compounds that can be supplied for research without controlled-substance scheduling. If you have questions about a specific product, contact us before ordering.

Research peptides are not products for general retail sale, and our age gate exists for two reasons: to make clear that this is a regulated category, and to filter out anyone arriving at the site without legitimate research intent. Confirming you're 18 and accepting our research-use terms takes one click and is recorded for compliance. If you can't agree to those terms, this isn't the right shop.

It means our peptides are supplied as laboratory reagents - for in-vitro research, analytical reference standards, and structural studies. They are not authorised for use in humans or animals, are not therapies, and are not sold for personal experimentation. Our research disclaimer covers this in full.

Our peptides are synthesised by GMP-accredited European laboratories using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis, then independently tested before being released for sale. We don't disclose specific manufacturer relationships publicly, but every batch is traceable internally and on the certificate of analysis.

Yes. Every batch is supplied with a third-party CoA showing identity, purity, and any contaminants tested for. CoAs are published on each product page and collated on our certificates page so they're easy to find before and after purchase.

HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) separates and measures the components in a sample, allowing the lab to quantify peptide purity. Our testing is done by ILS Laboratories, an independent ISO 17025 accredited lab in San Diego, not in-house. Purity is measured by RP-HPLC and identity is confirmed by HPLC-RTM, matching retention time against a reference standard. Every CoA we publish has a minimum 99% purity threshold and prints the chromatogram the figure was read from.

Purity is the percentage of the target peptide in the final powder, with the remainder being trace synthesis by-products. Yield refers to how much usable peptide came out of the synthesis run as a fraction of theoretical maximum, and is a manufacturing metric - not a quality measure. Researchers care about purity; manufacturers care about both.

Some of our peptides include mannitol as a bulking agent in the lyophilised vial. Mannitol stabilises very small peptide quantities (a few milligrams of peptide doesn't form a visible cake on its own) and dissolves cleanly during reconstitution. The CoA states whether mannitol is present and at what ratio.

Endotoxin testing isn't a standard part of every research-peptide CoA, because peptides intended for in-vitro work don't typically require it. If you need an endotoxin-tested product for a specific research workflow, contact us before ordering - we can confirm whether the batch you're looking at has been LPS-screened.

Every certificate we publish is the lab's own document, issued to Kovalabs by name, and carries a COA number and an access code printed on the report. That code verifies with ILS Laboratories directly at ils-lab.com, so authenticity does not depend on us. Each certificate also prints the HPLC chromatogram the purity figure was read from, and the lot number on the report matches the batch number on the vial label. Browse the full archive on our certificates page, or scan the QR code on any vial.

Lyophilised (freeze-dried) peptides ship at ambient temperature for short transit windows, but should go into a fridge at 2-8°C on arrival, or a freezer at -20°C for long-term storage. Once reconstituted, store the vial in a fridge and keep it shielded from light. Freeze-thaw cycles degrade peptides quickly, so portion accordingly.

Reconstitution is the process of dissolving a lyophilised peptide back into a liquid using a solvent - typically bacteriostatic water. The choice of solvent and the volume used determine the final concentration of your stock solution, which is the input for any quantitative research workflow. Our reconstitution guide covers the process; we don't provide medical or research-protocol advice.

Reconstituted peptides should be clear and colourless. Cloudiness, particulate matter, or visible discolouration usually indicates either incomplete dissolution (try gentle inversion - never shake), a peptide that needs a different solvent, or contamination. If a vial is still cloudy after gentle mixing, do not use it for research and contact us with photos so we can investigate against batch records. Our reconstitution guide walks through the basics in more detail.

Five milligrams of lyophilised peptide is a tiny amount of powder - often a thin film or a small fluffy plug at the bottom of the vial. Unless mannitol or another bulking agent is included, the visual is much smaller than people expect. The vial is filled correctly; the weight is listed on the CoA.

We don't currently stock bacteriostatic water as a sale item. Researchers source it separately from a laboratory supplier of their choice. Our reconstitution guide covers the process regardless of which solvent you use.

We accept UK pay-by-bank payments via Fena, our sole payment provider. Pay-by-bank moves the money directly from your bank account at the time you authorise it, so there are no card details to be stored or compromised. We do not currently support credit or debit cards on the storefront.

After placing your order, you'll be redirected from our checkout to a Fena page that securely connects to your UK bank - typically Open Banking via your banking app. You confirm the amount, sender, and recipient inside your bank's own login flow, and the funds move when you approve. There's no card to be cloned, no recurring authority, and you keep all the security your bank already provides; you'll be returned to our site once payment confirms.

If you authorised payment in your bank app but didn't see an order confirmation, give it 60 seconds - bank webhooks occasionally lag, and our system will catch up. If after a few minutes there's still no confirmation page or email, do not re-attempt payment; contact us with your name and the time of payment so we can match the incoming transfer to your basket and finalise the order manually.

Yes, free of charge, as long as it has not been dispatched. Orders placed before our 2pm cut-off ship the same working day, so email us straight away with your order number and what you'd like to change. Once a parcel has been handed to Royal Mail we cannot stop it, and research compounds cannot be returned or exchanged after dispatch unless they arrive damaged, faulty or incorrect.

Yes - for genuine laboratory and research-institution buyers we can offer bulk or repeat-purchase pricing on most of our catalogue. Get in touch with details of what you need, expected volumes, and any institutional or compliance constraints, and we'll come back with a quote.

We ship across the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland, and to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man at the same prices, with the same Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 options at checkout. Island parcels are handed to the local postal service for the final leg, so allow a little longer than a mainland delivery. We do not yet ship outside the UK and Crown Dependencies - wider international delivery is on the roadmap once we have the regulatory paperwork in place. See our shipping page for the current detail.

Orders placed before 2pm UK time ship the same working day via Royal Mail Tracked 24, with most parcels arriving the next working day. You'll receive a tracking number by email at dispatch. Delivery windows can stretch slightly during peak periods or bad weather; the tracking link is the source of truth. Full detail on our shipping page.

Vials are packed in protective foam inserts inside a discreet outer carton. Packaging is unbranded - no shop name or product name appears externally - for both privacy and to discourage handling damage. Lyophilised peptides are stable at ambient temperature for the short Royal Mail transit window.

Not for UK mainland, Northern Ireland or Isle of Man orders - they travel as domestic post with no customs charges. Jersey and Guernsey parcels travel with a customs declaration, which we complete for you. Jersey may charge 5% GST on orders over £60 (including any postage), set by the Government of Jersey and payable by you. It is not always applied, and there is nothing you need to do in advance: if Jersey Customs do charge it, they contact you with a payment reference before delivery, Jersey Customs do not add a handling fee, and Jersey Post deliver as soon as it is paid. Guernsey currently has no import charges. Full detail on our shipping page.

Domestic UK parcels don't pass through customs. If you ever see a customs reference appear on your tracking for a UK shipment, contact us - that's outside the normal Royal Mail flow and we'll investigate immediately.

Keep everything and email us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and photographs of the outer packaging, the inner packaging and the damaged vial with its label and batch number visible. Once we have checked the evidence we send a replacement, tracked, at our cost. We can't act on a message that only says something arrived damaged: the photographs are what let us put it right quickly and claim from Royal Mail.

Royal Mail Tracked 24 is normally next working day but can occasionally take an extra day or two during peak periods. If your tracking shows no movement for 3 working days, get in touch with your order number and we'll open a Royal Mail investigation. Once Royal Mail confirms the parcel is lost, or its lost-item window passes, we send a replacement or, if you prefer, refund the order. If tracking shows it as delivered but you don't have it, check with your household, neighbours and any safe place, then contact us within 3 working days of the delivery scan.

You can cancel free of charge at any time before your order is dispatched. Research compounds and bacteriostatic water are temperature-sensitive sterile products that we cannot verify or resell once they have left our storage, so they are exempt from the 14-day cancellation right and cannot be returned or exchanged after dispatch. If a product arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect, contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and photographs and we replace it at our cost. Your Consumer Rights Act rights are unaffected. Full details, including what to photograph and the model cancellation form, are on our returns and replacements page.

Mistakes are rare but they happen. Email us within 7 days of delivery with your order number, a photograph of everything you received laid out next to the packing slip, and a quick note on what's missing or wrong. We check the claim against our packing and dispatch records, then send the correct item by the next dispatch cut-off. For a wrong item we may ask you to send it back to us at our cost.