Research library / Compounds

What is peptide?

A nine-residue peptide first isolated in 1977, still an unresolved riddle.

, short for delta sleep-inducing peptide, is a nine-amino-acid peptide: Trp–Ala–Gly–Gly–Asp–Ala–Ser–Gly–Glu. Researchers in Basel isolated it in 1977 during sleep research in rabbits. How the body makes and senses it is still debated; a 2006 review called it an unresolved riddle. Prism Labs supplies it as a lyophilized vial.

Prism Labs editorial · Updated October 8, 2026 · 3 min read

Lyophilized vial10mg · 99.83% purity$39.99View product

What it is

The sequence is WAGGDASGE. The reference record lists the formula C35H48N10O15 and a molecular weight of 848.8 g/mol (PubChem CID 68816).

The name comes from delta waves, the slow brain waves of deep sleep, which the original experiments recorded.

Sources: [3] PubChem · reference structure · [1] PNAS · 1977

Where it came from

In 1977, a Basel group including Guido Schoenenberger and Marcel Monnier reported a peptide from the blood of rabbits in which sleep had been induced, and linked it to delta-wave activity in recipient animals.

The next year they published its amino-acid sequence and a synthetic version. Reviews followed in 1984 and 1986 as interest grew.

Sources: [1] PNAS · 1977 · [2] Experientia · 1977 · [4] Pflügers Archiv · 1978 · [5] Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · 1984 · [6] Peptides · 1986

Lyophilized vial from Prism Labs — Every lot ships with its own certificate of analysis.

What is and isn’t known

has an unusual status: studied for decades, yet still unsettled.

No gene encoding it and no specific receptor had been identified, according to a 2006 review.
Studies have examined it in sleep, stress-hormone and circadian research, mostly in animals.
Findings have varied between laboratories, which is part of why reviews describe it as unresolved.

These are observations in laboratory models. They are not evidence about any use in people.

Sources: [7] Journal of Neurochemistry · 2006 · [5] Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · 1984

How it is supplied and stored

ships as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder in 10 mg vials. The powder is stable at room temperature in transit. For lab use it is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water such as .

For a vial, concentration is content divided by volume: 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg per mL. The reconstitution calculator handles other combinations.

For storage before and after reconstitution, see how to store lyophilized peptides.

How to verify a batch

Every lot has its own certificate of analysis from an independent lab. Read three results separately:

Identity: confirms the expected compound was detected.
Purity: the share of the measured material that is the intended compound.
Content: the amount measured, compared with the label.

Then match the lot number on your vial or bottle to the report, and use the report’s verification link to confirm it with the testing lab. Step by step: how to read a peptide COA.