— The research library
Do the work right.
58 references for the research community — 25 compound monographs with mechanism and published research, summaries of the published trials, and how we test every batch. For research use only.
58 results
5-Amino-1MQ
5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule, cell-permeable inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) — an enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using…
Read →CompoundAOD-9604
AOD-9604 is a synthetic 16-amino-acid peptide derived from the C-terminal lipolytic fragment of human growth hormone, with an additional tyrosine residue at the N-terminus added for…
Read →CompoundBPC-157
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide corresponding to a partial sequence of a protein identified in human gastric juice. Unlike most peptides used in laboratory work it carries…
Read →CompoundBPC-157 + TB-500 (Wolverine)
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide consisting of fifteen amino acids (Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val) derived from a fragment of body protection…
Read →CompoundCJC-1295
CJC-1295 is the name applied to two materials that behave very differently, and conflating them is the most common error in reading this literature. The form carrying the Drug…
Read →CompoundEpitalon
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide composed of L-alanine, L-glutamic acid, L-aspartic acid, and L-glycine. It is among the most-studied "peptide bioregulators" in the Russian…
Read →CompoundGHK-Cu
GHK is a naturally occurring tripeptide with the amino-acid sequence glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine. When complexed with copper(II), the resulting GHK-Cu chelate forms a planar…
Read →CompoundGLOW Blend (BPC-157 · GHK-Cu · TB-500)
GLOW combines three peptides that recur in tissue-repair and extracellular-matrix research: BPC-157, a stable gastric pentadecapeptide; GHK-Cu, a copper-binding tripeptide…
Read →CompoundIGF-1 LR3
IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1) is a bioengineered analog of human insulin-like growth factor-1 carrying a 13-amino-acid N-terminal extension and an arginine substitution at position 3.…
Read →CompoundIpamorelin
Ipamorelin is a C-terminally amidated pentapeptide containing two unnatural residues, the α-aminoisobutyric acid at the N-terminus and D-2-naphthylalanine at position three,…
Read →CompoundKisspeptin-10
Kisspeptin-10 is the C-terminal decapeptide of metastin, the 54-residue, carboxy-terminally amidated product of the KISS1 gene. KISS1 was characterised in the 1990s as a suppressor…
Read →CompoundKLOW Blend (BPC-157 · GHK-Cu · TB-500 · KPV)
KLOW combines four peptides recurrent in repair and immune-signaling research: BPC-157, GHK-Cu, TB-500, and KPV. KPV is the C-terminal fragment of α-MSH and is studied for…
Read →CompoundMelanotan II
Melanotan II (MT-II) is a synthetic cyclic lactam heptapeptide derived from α-MSH. The cyclization (between Asp5 and Lys10) plus the substitution of D-Phe at position 7 produced a…
Read →CompoundMOTS-c
MOTS-c (Mitochondrial Open Reading frame of the Twelve S rRNA type-c) is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded within the mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA region. It was the first…
Read →CompoundNAD+
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) is a pyridine nucleotide coenzyme present in every living cell. It is not a peptide and does not fit the strict "research peptide" category…
Read →CompoundPT-141
PT-141 (bremelanotide) is a cyclic heptapeptide analog of α-MSH that acts as a non-selective agonist at melanocortin receptors with preferential activity at MC3R and MC4R. The…
Read →CompoundRT3
RT3 is a single-molecule triple agonist that activates the GIP receptor, the GLP-1 receptor, and the glucagon receptor. The triple-incretin pharmacology represents an attempt to…
Read →CompoundSelank
Selank is a synthetic heptapeptide consisting of the human tuftsin tetrapeptide (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) extended with the C-terminal tripeptide -Pro-Gly-Pro. The C-terminal extension…
Read →CompoundSemaglutide
Semaglutide is a synthetic analog of human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a 31-amino-acid incretin hormone. Engineering modifications — a C18 fatty-diacid side chain that promotes…
Read →CompoundSemax
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide composed of an N-terminal ACTH(4-7) tetrapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe) extended with the C-terminal tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro. The Pro-Gly-Pro extension…
Read →CompoundSermorelin
Sermorelin is the synthetic acetate salt of GHRH(1-29), the N-terminal 29 amino acids of human growth-hormone-releasing hormone (somatocrinin). It is the shortest GHRH fragment…
Read →CompoundTB-500
The distinction between TB-500 and thymosin beta-4 is the single most important thing to establish before reading this literature, and it is routinely collapsed in secondary…
Read →CompoundTesamorelin
Tesamorelin is a synthetic 44-amino-acid analog of human GHRH carrying a trans-3-hexenoic acid moiety at the N-terminus. This modification stabilizes the peptide against dipeptidyl…
Read →CompoundThymosin Alpha-1
Thymosin Alpha-1 (Tα1) is a 28-amino-acid N-acetylated peptide derived from prothymosin alpha (ProTα). Among the family of thymic peptides, Tα1 is the most extensively characterized…
Read →CompoundTZ2
TZ2 is a synthetic 39-amino-acid peptide engineered to act as a single-molecule dual agonist at the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and the glucagon-like…
Read →GuideAliquoting a compound vial safely
How to split a reconstituted peptide vial into single-use aliquots so you avoid freeze-thaw degradation and contamination.
Read →GuideBacteriostatic water vs. sterile water: which to use
The practical difference between bacteriostatic water (USP, with benzyl alcohol) and sterile water for injection, and why bacteriostatic is the default for multi-dose peptide vials
Read →GuideChoosing the right syringe and needle for research workflows
How to pick between insulin syringes, 1 mL tuberculin syringes, and various needle gauges based on dose volume and reconstitution practice.
Read →GuideCold-chain handling: from delivery to vial
What to do when a peptide shipment arrives — verifying ice-pack temperature, transferring vials to long-term storage, and what counts as a stability-compromising thermal excursion.
Read →GuideEndotoxin and Sterility Testing, Explained
HPLC and mass spec say nothing about pyrogens or sterility. How the USP 85 bacterial endotoxins test, recombinant Factor C, and USP 71 sterility testing work — and how to read an EU/mg line item.
Read →GuideHow research peptides are actually made: solid-phase synthesis
Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis walked cycle by cycle — resin loading through cleavage — and how every impurity class on a COA traces back to the exact step that produced it.
Read →GuideHow to read a Certificate of Analysis (COA)
A walkthrough of every section on a research-peptide COA: identity confirmation, HPLC purity trace, mass spec, endotoxin, appearance, and what to look for vs. ignore.
Read →GuideHow to read a Merit certificate of analysis
A real Merit lot certificate, read line by line: what identity and purity testing actually confirm, and the accredited lab that signs every one.
Read →GuideHow to verify a certificate of analysis
What a legitimate COA contains, how to tell identity from purity, the red flags that mark a fabricated or recycled certificate, and how to verify one independently — applied to any supplier, including us.
Read →GuideHow to vet a research compound supplier
A due-diligence checklist for comparing research compound vendors: what a lot-specific COA must disclose, why purity and net peptide content differ, and what a weak certificate looks like.
Read →GuideHPLC purity testing explained
What HPLC measures, how the chromatogram is read, and why 99% AUC purity is the floor every Merit lot has to clear before it ships.
Read →GuideLyophilization and compound stability
How freeze-drying turns a fragile peptide solution into a multi-year shelf-stable powder, and why every Merit lot ships lyophilized.
Read →GuideMass spectrometry for compound identity verification
Why mass spec is the partner to HPLC on every COA: it tells you whether the peptide present is actually the one labeled, not just how pure the sample is.
Read →GuidePurity, potency and net peptide content are three different numbers
Chromatographic purity, net peptide content and potency measure three different things. Why a lot can be 99% pure by HPLC and still be well under 99% peptide by mass.
Read →GuideTFA vs acetate: why a peptide's counterion matters
TFA salt is what standard synthesis and HPLC purification leave behind; acetate is a deliberate exchange step. What the counterion changes, and why it belongs on the certificate.
Read →GuideThe case for a 99% purity floor
The peptide research industry standard is ≥95% purity. We chose 99%. Here's the trade-off — and why it's the right one for the work researchers are doing.
Read →GuideThe Certificate of Analysis explained
What a peptide COA is, what tests it contains, who issues it, and how to verify the COA you receive belongs to the lot in front of you.
Read →GuideWhat "Research Use Only" Actually Means
Research use only is a distribution and labeling status, not a quality tier. How RUO differs from investigational use only and FDA-approved status, and why the label never settles the question.
Read →GuideWhat USP 797 actually requires
USP 797 is a process standard governing ISO-classified air, garbing, monitoring, and beyond-use dating. What "compounded to USP 797" certifies — and what it says nothing about.
Read →GuideWhy research compounds get blended — and what QC a blend requires
A multi-compound vial needs a certificate reporting purity, identity and content per component. Why co-elution makes a single aggregate number meaningless on a peptide blend.
Read →GuideWhy we publish every COA
Most research-peptide suppliers publish a single headline purity number. Merit publishes the chromatogram. Here's why that matters.
Read →ResearchBPC-157 preclinical evidence: what the literature actually says
An honest summary of the preclinical literature on BPC-157 — what's well-replicated, what's preliminary, and the open questions about translation to other models.
Read →ResearchERR agonists and the "exercise mimetic" research question
SLU-PP-332 is a pan-ERR agonist studied as an exercise mimetic. What the rodent and in-vitro literature reported through 2026 — and why no human trial data exists.
Read →ResearchGrowth hormone secretagogues: GHRH analogues vs ghrelin mimetics
Two receptors, not one. GHRH-receptor analogues like sermorelin and CJC-1295 amplify existing GH pulses; ghrelin-receptor agonists like ipamorelin act through a separate pathway.
Read →ResearchMelanocortin Receptors: MC1R, MC3R and MC4R in Research
MC1R through MC5R share one ligand family, so what a melanocortin receptor agonist does depends almost entirely on which subtypes it hits — and at what exposure frequency.
Read →ResearchNAD+ and cellular aging: a research summary
Why NAD+ became a focus of cellular aging research, what the human and animal data show, and where the field's current debates sit.
Read →ResearchRT3 TRIPLE-1: triple-agonist research signals
The TRIPLE-1 Phase 2 trial of RT3 — a triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist. Study design, key signals, and how a third receptor changes the pharmacology.
Read →ResearchSURMOUNT-1: what the TZ2 obesity data showed
A summary of the Phase 3 SURMOUNT-1 obesity trial (NEJM 2022) — design, primary outcomes, dose-response observations, and what the data implies for TZ2 research.
Read →ResearchSURPASS-2: TZ2 vs. semaglutide head-to-head
The Phase 3 SURPASS-2 trial directly compared TZ2 and semaglutide for type-2 diabetes research. What the head-to-head showed about dual vs. single incretin agonism.
Read →ResearchTesamorelin and visceral adipose tissue: the trial record
A summary of the pivotal tesamorelin visceral fat study (Falutz, NEJM 2007) and the follow-on literature — CT-measured endpoints, durability, reversal on discontinuation, and scope limits.
Read →ResearchThe incretin class: single, dual and triple receptor agonists
GLP-1R, GIPR and GCGR — how single, dual and triple receptor agonists differ mechanistically, and which published trial anchors each generation of the incretin class.
Read →ResearchThe STEP program: semaglutide trial data summarized
STEP 1 reported a mean body-weight change of −14.9% versus −2.4% for placebo over 68 weeks. A trial-by-trial summary of STEP 1, STEP 4 and STEP 8 as published.
Read →ResearchThymosin Alpha-1: What the Clinical Record Shows
Thymalfasin's registration outside the US is a large part of why thymosin alpha-1 has a real randomized human literature. An honest read of ETASS, the null phase 3 TESTS trial, and the meta-analyses.
Read →Everything here is reference information summarized from published literature, for research use only — not for human or veterinary use, and not medical or dosing advice.