Reliable analytical testing, purity verification, and professional laboratory reporting. Trusted results for researchers, manufacturers, and biotech companies across Canada and beyond.
Northern Peptide Labs is an independent Canadian analytical laboratory providing rigorous quality verification, purity testing, and compound identification services for peptides, research chemicals, and biotechnology products.
Our mission is to deliver accurate, transparent, and timely analytical results — giving researchers, manufacturers, and biotech companies the reliable data they need to make informed decisions with confidence.
Industry-standard analytical methods to verify the purity, identity, and quality of your compounds.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for precise purity determination. The gold standard for quantifying compound purity percentages.
Definitive molecular identity confirmation. Determines exact molecular weight and verifies that your compound is what it claims to be.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for functional group identification, excipient verification, and material characterization.
Karl Fischer titration for precise water content determination, ensuring product stability and accurate dosing calculations.
Every completed analysis comes with a professionally formatted COA — an official document summarising all test results, methods used, and findings for your sample.
Need a combination of tests or a specialized analytical approach? Contact us to discuss a tailored testing solution for your project.
Get a Custom QuoteWhen accuracy matters, researchers and manufacturers choose Northern Peptide Labs for our commitment to analytical rigour, transparency, and impartial reporting.
No affiliations with manufacturers or suppliers
State-of-the-art analytical instrumentation
Results delivered efficiently without compromise
Strict privacy protocols for every sample
Comprehensive, clearly formatted documentation
Validated methods with rigorous quality control
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High-Performance Liquid Chromatography — the industry standard for peptide purity determination and quantitative compound analysis.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a powerful analytical technique used to separate, identify, and quantify individual components within a mixture. It is the most widely used method in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and research industries for determining the purity of peptides and research compounds.
In HPLC analysis, a liquid sample is dissolved in a solvent and pushed under high pressure through a column packed with stationary phase material. Different molecules interact with the stationary phase to varying degrees, causing them to travel through the column at different rates and emerge separately — a process called chromatographic separation.
The sample is injected into the system and carried by a mobile phase (solvent) through a stationary phase (the column). As compounds pass through, a UV detector records when each component exits, generating a chromatogram — a graph of peaks representing each separated compound. The area of each peak is directly proportional to the amount of that compound present in the sample.
The HPLC chromatogram shows the purity of your compound as a percentage. For example, a result of 98.5% purity means that 98.5% of the detected material corresponds to your target compound, with the remaining 1.5% consisting of impurities, degradation products, or related compounds. This information is essential for verifying product quality and ensuring accurate dosing in research applications.
HPLC is trusted across industries because it delivers precise, reproducible, and quantitative results. Unlike visual or qualitative assessments, HPLC provides an objective numerical purity value backed by physical separation of compounds.
At Northern Peptide Labs, our HPLC analysis is performed using reverse-phase methodology — the standard approach for peptide purity testing — and all results are reported in a professional Certificate of Analysis.
Definitive molecular identity confirmation using precise mass-to-charge ratio analysis — verifying exactly what your compound is.
Mass Spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that measures the mass of molecules with extraordinary precision. By determining the exact molecular weight of a compound, MS provides definitive identity confirmation — telling you not just how pure a sample is, but confirming that the compound itself is what it is claimed to be.
For peptide analysis, MS is an essential tool because peptides can have similar physical properties yet completely different structures. A purity test alone cannot confirm identity — only mass spectrometry can verify that the correct amino acid sequence and molecular structure are present.
In mass spectrometry, the sample is first ionized — molecules are given an electrical charge. These ions are then accelerated through a mass analyzer, which separates them according to their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). A detector records the signal at each mass value, producing a mass spectrum — a plot showing which masses are present and in what abundance.
Each compound has a unique theoretical molecular weight calculated from its molecular formula. When the mass spectrum shows a major peak at or very close to this expected mass, the identity of the compound is confirmed. For peptides, additional fragmentation patterns (MS/MS) can further verify the amino acid sequence, providing an even higher level of structural certainty.
HPLC and Mass Spectrometry are highly complementary techniques. HPLC tells you how pure a compound is (percentage-wise), while MS tells you what the compound actually is. Together, they provide a complete analytical picture — purity and identity — which is why HPLC-MS is the most comprehensive and trusted approach for peptide characterization.
Northern Peptide Labs offers standalone MS testing as well as combined HPLC + MS packages, ensuring your samples are characterized with the most thorough analytical approach available.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for functional group identification, material characterization, and excipient verification.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is a non-destructive analytical technique that identifies chemical compounds by measuring how they absorb infrared (IR) light. Every functional group — the chemical building blocks of molecules — absorbs IR radiation at specific, characteristic wavelengths, creating a unique spectral "fingerprint" for each material.
FTIR is widely used in pharmaceutical and materials science applications to identify compounds, verify excipients, detect contaminants, and confirm the structural integrity of a substance.
In FTIR analysis, infrared light is passed through or reflected off the sample. The instrument measures which wavelengths of IR light are absorbed by the sample and which are transmitted. This absorption pattern is converted mathematically (via a Fourier Transform) into an infrared spectrum — a graph showing characteristic absorption peaks.
FTIR provides qualitative and semi-quantitative information about the chemical composition of a sample. Key data includes identification of functional groups (amide bonds, hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups, etc.), confirmation of material class, and detection of contaminants or adulterants.
FTIR is fast, non-destructive, and requires minimal sample preparation, making it ideal for routine material screening and excipient verification. However, it is primarily a qualitative tool — it identifies what is present but does not readily quantify purity percentages as HPLC does. For complex mixtures or low-level impurity detection, HPLC or MS are more appropriate. FTIR is most valuable as a complementary technique or as a standalone screening method for solid materials and excipient confirmation.
FTIR is applicable to virtually any solid, liquid, or gas-phase material, making it one of the most versatile analytical techniques available. Common applications in our laboratory include:
Precise water content determination using Karl Fischer titration — essential for product stability and accurate potency assessment.
Moisture content testing measures the amount of water present within a compound sample, expressed as a weight percentage. Water is a natural component of many lyophilized peptides and research compounds, and its level directly impacts product stability, accurate weight-based dosing, and long-term storage performance.
At Northern Peptide Labs, we use Karl Fischer (KF) titration — the gold standard method for water content determination — which provides specific and highly precise results for moisture in the range of 0.01% and above.
Many researchers and manufacturers underestimate the importance of moisture content in peptide products. Lyophilized peptides commonly contain between 1–10% water by weight, and this water content is not always accounted for when calculating dosing. Understanding moisture content is critical for several reasons:
Karl Fischer titration is a highly specific electrochemical method that reacts exclusively with water molecules, making it far more accurate than gravimetric (loss-on-drying) approaches. It detects only water — not other volatile components — and delivers precise results even at low moisture levels. This method is specified by major pharmacopoeias (USP, BP, EP) as the reference procedure for water content determination.
Water is a key driver of chemical reactions that degrade peptides and research compounds over time. Even small amounts of excess moisture can catalyze oxidation, hydrolysis, and racemization — reactions that break down active compounds and reduce product potency. Maintaining moisture below critical thresholds is therefore essential for achieving the expected shelf-life of a product.
Whether you need moisture data for quality control, research dosing accuracy, or stability documentation, Northern Peptide Labs provides fast and reliable Karl Fischer moisture analysis with results included in your Certificate of Analysis.
Reach out with questions about our services, sample submission, or to request a quote. Our team is ready to assist you.
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST
Saturday – Sunday: Closed
Northern Peptide Labs
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