Bacteriostatic Water & Lab Supplies

Bacteriostatic water is the standard diluent for research peptides. It is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol (9 mg/mL), a preservative that stops bacteria from growing in the vial. Because almost every peptide in our range is supplied as lyophilised powder, bacteriostatic water is the one product that nearly every order needs.

Bacteriostatic water in this category

• Bacteriostatic water 10 mL: sterile, 0.9% benzyl alcohol, in a multi-use vial with a rubber stopper. Enough for several peptide vials, depending on the volume you use per vial.

Why bacteriostatic water instead of sterile water

Sterile water without preservative is safe for a single use. As soon as a vial is opened more than once, bacteria can enter and grow in the solution. The benzyl alcohol in bacteriostatic water prevents this, so the reconstituted peptide can be stored in the refrigerator and used over a period of weeks. This is why it is the diluent of choice for peptides such as BPC-157 or GHK-Cu that are used in several steps of an experiment.

Some peptides need a different solvent, for example dilute acetic acid for compounds that dissolve poorly in neutral water. For the peptides in our range, bacteriostatic water is suitable in nearly all cases.

How much bacteriostatic water you need

The volume depends on the concentration you want. Common amounts are 1 to 3 mL per 5 or 10 mg peptide vial. A 10 mL vial of bacteriostatic water therefore covers three to ten peptide vials. The table in our guide on how to reconstitute peptides shows the resulting concentrations for the most common combinations.

Storage of bacteriostatic water

Store the vial at room temperature or in the refrigerator, protected from light. After the first use, wipe the stopper with alcohol before each further use and discard the vial after 28 days, which is the standard period in pharmacy practice for multi-dose vials. Bacteriostatic water is sold for laboratory research use only.