How Long Does MOTS-c Last? Storage Before and After Mixing
Lyophilised MOTS-c keeps for a year or more sealed, dry and frozen; once mixed with bacteriostatic water it lasts 8 to 12 weeks at 2 to 8 °C under Vistara Labs’ handling guidance, with quality slowly fading from around week 6 to 8. No published stability study covers MOTS-c in solution, so that window is the general peptide guidance. Because its short sequence carries two methionines and a tryptophan, a mixed vial is kept especially well protected from light and air, and it is never frozen.
Findings
- MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, within the 12S rRNA gene (Lee et al., Cell Metab, 2015).
- A chemical supplier’s data sheet rates the powder at 2 years at −80 °C and 1 year at −20 °C, sealed away from moisture.
- The same sheet gives a stock solution 1 month at −20 °C and 6 months at −80 °C, and lists the sequence as MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR.
- Methionine at positions 1 and 6 and tryptophan at 3 are oxidation-prone residues, which is why dark, sealed storage matters more than usual.
How long does MOTS-c powder last?
The data sheet from MedChemExpress gives MOTS-c powder 2 years at −80 °C and 1 year at −20 °C, stored sealed and away from moisture. Moisture is the main enemy of a freeze-dried cake: it lets the same reactions that happen in solution start in the solid. The 10 mg and 40 mg vials are kept capped and boxed, in the fridge for near-term work or the freezer for longer holds, and a cold vial is brought to room temperature before opening so that condensation does not form on the powder.
How long does MOTS-c last after mixing?
At 2 to 8 °C, dark and accessed only through a swabbed stopper, mixed MOTS-c lasts 8 to 12 weeks, with quality fading from around week 6 to 8. That is the general row in how long peptides last after mixing. The MOTS-c reconstitution page has the calculator for both vial sizes.
What the sequence says about stability
MOTS-c dissolves readily in water; the supplier sheet lists solubility of at least 100 mg/mL. Its weak points are chemical rather than physical. Oxidation of methionine is one of the commonest ways peptides change in solution, and tryptophan oxidises too, especially under light (Manning et al., Pharm Res, 2010). MOTS-c has two methionines in its first six residues, a tryptophan at position 3 and a glutamine at position 4 that can deamidate. Against that, it contains no cysteine or asparagine. The practical result is the same window as most peptides, with extra attention to light, a tight stopper and gentle swirling rather than shaking, which works air into the solution.
What the frozen-solution figures mean
The supplier’s 1 month at −20 °C and 6 months at −80 °C apply to stock solutions frozen once and kept sealed, a laboratory practice for single-use aliquots. They are not a reason to freeze a working vial that will be thawed and opened again.
How long does MOTS-c last at room temperature?
There is no published figure for MOTS-c in solution at room temperature. A mixed vial is taken out of the fridge only for handling, because warmth speeds the oxidation reactions above.
Can MOTS-c be frozen?
The powder can, and the supplier’s longest figure, 2 years, is a freezer figure. Single-use aliquots of solution can be frozen once. A working vial should not be frozen and thawed repeatedly, since freeze-thaw cycles aggregate peptides in solution.
How can you tell mixed MOTS-c has degraded?
- Yellowing or any tint. Mixed MOTS-c should be clear and colourless.
- Cloudiness that does not clear within 10 to 15 minutes of mixing, or that appears later.
- Particles or sediment.
- Gel or thickening, explained in why peptides gel or go cloudy.
Oxidation itself is invisible, which is why the time window applies even to a vial that still looks perfect.
Travelling with MOTS-c
Sealed powder vials are the form to travel with. A mixed vial travels upright in an insulated case with a cold pack that does not touch the glass, kept out of the light; the peptide travel case is made for this. MOTS-c is supplied as lyophilised vials only; there is no nasal spray. It also appears in the Mitochondrial Energy stack, where each vial keeps its own clock once mixed.
MOTS-c storage at a glance
| State | Where | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Powder, sealed | −20 °C, dry | 1 year (supplier data sheet) |
| Powder, sealed | −80 °C | 2 years (supplier data sheet) |
| Mixed with bacteriostatic water | 2 to 8 °C, dark | 8 to 12 weeks, fading from week 6 to 8 (store guidance) |
| Solution aliquots, frozen once | −20 °C / −80 °C | 1 month / 6 months (supplier data sheet) |
| Mixed, room temperature | Handling only | No published figure |
Certificates of analysis are on the lab reports page, and every order ships from within Canada by Canada Post Xpresspost.
Vistara Labs supplies MOTS-c as a laboratory research material. The windows on this page describe how long the peptide stays in good condition.
Frequently asked questions
How long does MOTS-c last in the fridge after mixing?
Under Vistara Labs’ handling guidance, 8 to 12 weeks at 2 to 8 °C in the dark, with quality fading from around week 6 to 8.
How long does MOTS-c last at room temperature?
No published figure exists for MOTS-c in solution at room temperature. A mixed vial is kept in the fridge and taken out only for handling.
Can you freeze MOTS-c?
Yes as powder: one supplier rates it at 1 year at −20 °C and 2 years at −80 °C. Solution can be frozen once as single-use aliquots, but a working vial should not go through repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Does MOTS-c go bad?
Yes. Its two methionines and tryptophan oxidise slowly in solution, faster with warmth and light. Cloudiness, particles, a tint or gel mean it has degraded.
Is MOTS-c the same as other mitochondrial peptides for storage?
Not exactly. Each has its own sequence. MOTS-c’s methionines and tryptophan make light and air its main concerns; the comparison with SS-31 is in MOTS-c vs SS-31.
Handling windows: Vistara Labs, October 2026. Sources: Lee C et al. The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance. Cell Metab. 2015. PMID 25738459. Manning MC et al. Stability of protein pharmaceuticals: an update. Pharm Res. 2010. PMID 20143256. MedChemExpress. MOTS-c (human), HY-P2048, product data sheet: sequence, solubility and storage. PDF.
More on this: How Long Do Peptides Last After Mixing?
All products supplied by Vistara Labs are intended for laboratory research use only. They are not drugs, are not approved for human or veterinary use, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice or guidance for use in humans.
