Last Updated: December 2025

Research peptides require proper laboratory safety practices. This page outlines the protective measures, procedures, and protocols that keep researchers safe during peptide work.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE stands between you and potential hazards. Consistency matters more than convenience.

Gloves should be worn whenever handling peptides or their solutions. Nitrile offers good chemical resistance and durability. Change them after handling different compounds, after any suspected contamination, and when you notice damage. For unfamiliar compounds or concentrated preparations, wear two pairs.

Lab coats provide a barrier against splashes and incidental contact. Button them fully during work. Take them off before exiting the lab so you don’t track materials into offices, break rooms, or outside. Wash them separately from regular laundry.

Eye protection prevents splash injuries. Safety glasses cover basic needs. For work involving larger volumes or solvents that can splash, upgrade to chemical splash goggles or a full face shield. If you wear contacts, know that liquids can get trapped underneath them, making thorough flushing difficult.

Footwear must cover the entire foot. No sandals, no open toes. Spills and dropped sharps make exposed feet a liability.

Handling Procedures

Safe technique prevents most incidents before they happen.

Review the MSDS first. Every compound you work with has a Material Safety Data Sheet detailing its hazards, handling requirements, and emergency response procedures. Read it before opening the vial.

Use containment. Laminar flow hoods and biosafety cabinets provide clean, controlled environments for handling open containers. They contain spills and aerosols. When hoods aren’t available, choose a ventilated space with minimal foot traffic.

Avoid creating aerosols. Vigorous shaking, rapid pipetting, and careless syringe handling all generate airborne droplets. Work deliberately. Point syringes into containers when expelling air or liquid. Seal vials promptly.

No mouth pipetting. Under any circumstances. Mechanical pipetting devices exist for a reason.

Maintain a clean bench. Clear away items you aren’t using. Keep necessary supplies within reach. Crowded workspaces invite spills and cross contamination.

Chemical Hazards

The peptides themselves are one concern. The solvents and additives that accompany them are another.

Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which causes skin irritation with extended exposure. It’s relatively benign but still deserves respect.

Acetic acid reconstitutes certain peptides that don’t dissolve well in water. Higher concentrations are corrosive. Avoid skin and eye contact. Work with ventilation to prevent inhaling vapors.

DMSO is a penetration agent. It crosses skin within seconds and brings dissolved substances along with it. If you spill a DMSO peptide solution on yourself, wash immediately. Don’t assume the amount was too small to matter.

Flammable solvents like methanol and acetonitrile appear in analytical work. Store them away from heat and ignition sources. Use them in ventilated areas. Know where the fire extinguisher is.

Sharps Safety

Needles and broken glass cause injuries that can introduce compounds directly into tissue.

Don’t recap needles by hand. This simple habit causes countless needlesticks. Use a one handed technique if recapping is necessary, or dispose of needles immediately without recapping at all.

Keep sharps containers close. Every area where needles are used needs a puncture proof container within reach. Replace containers at the fill line. Overstuffed containers increase injury risk.

Dispose of broken glass properly. Cracked vials and pipettes belong in designated glass waste containers, not regular bins. Handle fragments with tongs or thick gloves, never bare hands.

Spill Response

Knowing what to do when something goes wrong limits damage and exposure.

Small aqueous spills are straightforward. Absorb the liquid, clean the area with disinfectant, dispose of contaminated materials as chemical waste. Wear gloves throughout.

Solvent spills demand more caution. Volatile solvents create flammable or toxic vapor clouds. Clear the area. Ventilate. Use appropriate spill kits. Paper towels are inadequate for significant solvent releases.

Skin contact requires immediate washing. Remove any contaminated clothing first. Wash with soap and water for a minimum of 15 minutes. For solvents, consult the MSDS since water alone may not be the best approach.

Eye contact is urgent. Get to an eyewash station immediately. Flush continuously for 15 minutes while holding your lids open. Seek medical attention even if irritation fades.

Emergency Equipment

Find the safety equipment before an incident makes you need it.

Eyewash stations should be reachable in under 10 seconds from anywhere eye hazards exist. Test them periodically to confirm they function and the water is clear.

Safety showers handle full body decontamination when spills are extensive. Know where they are. Verify they work.

Fire extinguishers need to match the fire type. Class B handles flammable liquids. Class C handles electrical fires. Know which you have and where they’re mounted.

First aid supplies should be stocked and inventoried regularly. Replace anything that gets used or expires.

Emergency numbers belong on the wall where everyone can see them. Poison control, facility security, and medical services at minimum.

Waste Disposal

Every experiment produces waste. What you do with it matters.

Peptide solutions and materials contaminated with peptides are chemical waste. Collect them for proper disposal. Drains are not appropriate.

Sharps go into rigid, puncture proof containers that get incinerated through regulated medical waste channels.

Solvents often require segregated collection. Halogenated and non halogenated solvents typically go in different containers. Your institution specifies the requirements.

Contaminated gloves and wipes that contacted hazardous materials aren’t regular trash. Dispose of them as chemical waste.

Keep records if your institution or regulations require documentation of what was disposed and when.

Training

Safe practice requires informed researchers.

New personnel need instruction on laboratory safety fundamentals, hazards specific to the peptides and chemicals they’ll work with, spill and emergency response procedures, proper waste segregation and disposal, and location and use of safety equipment.

Ongoing education keeps safety front of mind. Experienced researchers still benefit from refreshers and updates on new regulations or hazards.