Bacteriostatic Water

Bacteriostatic Water: 10 mL Multiple-Use Diluent for Peptide Research

Bacteriostatic water is sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. The benzyl alcohol inhibits the growth of most bacteria, so a vial can be entered more than once with a sterile needle, which is why it is the standard diluent for reconstituting lyophilized research peptides.

Stacked BioLabs supplies bacteriostatic water in 10 mL multiple-use vials, each with a lot number for traceability.

Product specification

Research background

The difference between bacteriostatic and plain sterile water is the preservative. Sterile water contains no additive and is intended for single use: once the stopper is punctured, the contents are no longer protected against contamination. Bacteriostatic water’s benzyl alcohol does not sterilize, but it holds back bacterial growth long enough that the same vial can be drawn from several times over a working period.

For peptide research, that matters because a single lyophilized vial is often reconstituted and then sampled across several days or experiments. Using a preserved diluent helps keep the solution usable for that period, provided sterile technique is followed at every step: swab the stopper with alcohol before each entry and use a new sterile needle each time. Some peptides dissolve better in other diluents, such as dilute acetic acid, so always check what your protocol or the compound’s literature recommends.

Bacteriostatic water is the usual diluent for the catalog’s lyophilized vials, including BPC-157, GLP-3, ipamorelin and GHK-Cu. Browse all peptide vials.

Verifying your lot

Every vial carries a lot number. Match it to its certificate in the COA & lab reports library, which lists identity and purity results for that specific batch. A certificate applies only to the lot it names. If you can’t find a report for your lot, contact us and we’ll supply it. Keep the certificate in your lab records together with the product, strength and lot number, so every result can be traced back to the exact batch used.

Check the label before first use: confirm the contents, the 0.9% benzyl alcohol concentration and the lot number, and that the seal and stopper are intact. Do not use a vial if the seal is broken or the liquid is cloudy or contains particles.

Storage and handling

Store unopened vials at controlled room temperature, away from direct light. Once the stopper has been punctured, record the date in your laboratory records and follow your institution’s procedures for multiple-dose vials. Use sterile technique every time the stopper is punctured, and discard the vial according to your institution’s procedures for multiple-dose containers. A common laboratory practice is to discard a multiple-dose vial 28 days after it is first punctured unless the label states otherwise, and to write the puncture date on the vial.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Further reading: PubMed literature on benzyl alcohol-preserved diluents · PubChem