This is the page our whole brand depends on. If you wouldn't accept the standards described here, you shouldn't trust our data.
Click any underlined term (, , , , , ) for a plain-English explanation.
We purchase samples from suppliers anonymously, through the same retail channels any researcher would use. Suppliers are not notified that a sample is ours. They are not given the opportunity to send us a cherry-picked batch. Purchase records (order number, date, payment method, shipping address) are retained internally and referenced on each assay’s chain-of-custody documentation.
High-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (214 nm for peptide bond absorbance), using reference standards where available. Peptide purity is reported as area-percent. Our default pass threshold is ≥98% for research-grade peptides. Below threshold is a fail even if identity is confirmed.
LC-MS or MALDI-TOF confirms that the substance is actually the peptide on the label. Observed monoisotopic mass is compared against expected molecular weight. Deviation outside instrument tolerance is a fail regardless of purity.
Limulus amebocyte lysate assay or recombinant Factor C. Results reported as EU per mg. Relevant because endotoxin contamination is a recurring issue with gray-market peptide synthesis. Any result above the research-grade limit is noted on the assay page regardless of the pass/fail designation, because endotoxin status matters downstream of our testing framework.
Every test result is published at /suppliers/compare, with the full COA PDF linked from each assay page. Raw data is preserved. We do not retract published failures at a supplier’s request. If a supplier contests a result, their response is recorded on the assay page in a Remediation section, and we re-test from a fresh blind-purchased sample at our expense.
Open Assay earns affiliate commissions when researchers buy through links on our supplier pages. Testing outcomes and rankings are decided before any affiliate relationship is established and cannot be bought. If a supplier we have an affiliate relationship with fails our testing, we publish the failure and reduce their ranking. We also review suppliers who are not affiliate partners; exclusion from our portfolio does not exclude a supplier from review.
We are actively establishing relationships with independent analytical labs (peptide-specialty + Boston-area CRO). Until our own testing program is fully operational, we cite publicly-available third-party COA data from Janoshik Analytical, Freedom Diagnostics Testing, and Finnrick Analytics with full attribution. We will transition to publishing our own commissioned testing as partnerships come online. See the editorial policy for the full independence statement.