What is SS-31?
SS-31 is a small, water-soluble tetrapeptide, four amino acids joined together, designed to target the mitochondria. Known clinically as elamipretide (and by the research codes Szeto-Schiller peptide 31, MTP-131 and Bendavia), it is one of the most researched mitochondria-targeting peptides in science. Rather than acting on receptors at the cell surface, it is described in research as concentrating in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where cellular energy is produced. NovaPeptides supplies SS-31 strictly for laboratory and research use, and we have been supplying research peptides to Australians for over 3 years.
SS-31 is supplied strictly for laboratory and educational research. It is not TGA-approved for human consumption, and nothing on this page is medical advice or a treatment claim. Peptides referenced here are investigational and described only in a research context.
SS-31 belongs to a family of compounds developed by researchers Hazel Szeto and Peter Schiller, which is where the "SS" name comes from. What sets it apart from most peptides in the research literature is its destination: studies describe it crossing into the cell and concentrating several thousand-fold in the inner mitochondrial membrane, the part of the cell where energy is produced.
Mitochondria are often called the power plants of the cell, and for good reason: they convert nutrients into ATP, the molecule that powers almost everything cells do. With age, or when cells are placed under stress, research describes mitochondria becoming less efficient and leaking more damaging by-products. SS-31 attracted so much research interest precisely because it is studied as targeting this machinery directly, which is a big part of why so many people search for SS-31 in Australia.
- What it is: a mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide, known clinically as elamipretide (research code MTP-131).
- Why it is studied: researched in the context of supporting cellular energy (ATP) and lowering oxidative stress.
- The mechanism: research describes it concentrating in the inner mitochondrial membrane and binding a lipid called cardiolipin.
- In the range: supplied as a complete 30mg SS-31 research kit with a verifiable Novagen Laboratories COA you can check yourself.
How SS-31 works
In SS-31 mitochondrial research the peptide is best understood as a mitochondrial stabiliser. The literature points to a few connected mechanisms, all centred on a lipid called cardiolipin. The points below describe how SS-31 is studied, not an effect promised to anyone.
- It binds cardiolipin. Cardiolipin is a unique lipid found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it helps hold the membrane's tightly folded shape (the cristae) and keeps the energy-producing machinery organised. With age and stress, cardiolipin becomes damaged and disorganised. Research describes SS-31 selectively binding cardiolipin and is studied in the context of helping it stay stable and functional.
- It is studied in the context of the cristae and the electron transport chain. By binding cardiolipin, SS-31 is researched for whether mitochondria hold their folded structure so the electron transport chain, the assembly line associated with ATP production, can run efficiently rather than falling apart under stress.
- It is researched around ATP production. In preclinical models a more organised, better-protected membrane is associated with more efficient energy output, which is why SS-31 is so often described as an energy peptide in the research literature.
- It is studied in relation to oxidative stress. Inefficient mitochondria leak reactive oxygen species (ROS), the unstable molecules linked in research to cellular ageing and damage. SS-31 has been studied for whether it reduces this leakage at the source rather than mopping it up afterwards.
SS-31 and cellular energy
Energy is where SS-31 earned its reputation in the research world. Because it is studied as working directly on the machinery associated with ATP, the peptide has been investigated as a way to explore cells whose energy output has dropped, whether through age, stress or high demand. Tissues that use the most energy, such as muscle, heart and nerve cells, are densely packed with mitochondria, which is why so much SS-31 mitochondrial research focuses there. In plain terms, SS-31 is researched in the context of how tired, under-performing cells produce the energy they rely on. This is described as a research observation only, not a benefit promised to any person.
SS-31 and healthy ageing research
Declining mitochondrial function is considered one of the hallmarks of ageing. As cardiolipin degrades and ATP output falls, research describes cells across the body having less energy for their normal upkeep. SS-31 (elamipretide, MTP-131) has been investigated extensively in research on age-related and stress-related mitochondrial dysfunction, including laboratory and clinical studies of muscle, heart and eye tissue. The research interest is straightforward: a peptide studied for targeting a root cause of mitochondrial decline is naturally of interest to longevity researchers exploring the cellular resilience that tends to fade with age. None of this is a claim about what SS-31 will do in a person.
Recovery and performance research
The same two properties studied in the literature, more efficient energy and less oxidative stress, are why SS-31 also appears in recovery and performance research. Intense physical demand places heavy load on mitochondria and generates oxidative stress, and SS-31 has been studied in models of muscle function and exercise-related stress. For researchers, it is a logical companion to recovery-focused peptides because it is investigated around the energy system that underpins how cells behave under load. These are research contexts, not outcomes we promise you.
The SS-31 research kit
At NovaPeptides, SS-31 is supplied as a single-peptide research kit rather than a loose vial, so everything you need for careful research handling arrives in one place. Each kit includes the reusable dosing pen, bacteriostatic water, needle heads, an extraction syringe and a thermal hard case, so it arrives ready to assemble, and every batch carries a verifiable Novagen Laboratories Certificate of Analysis. We are Australian-owned, dispatch same-day from the Gold Coast, and ship discreet, tracked delivery Australia-wide. Research use only.
Research handling and reconstitution
SS-31 ships as a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder. In a research setting it is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before handling, then drawn or dialled in measured amounts for the study at hand. Because the right research concentration depends on how much bacteriostatic water is used to reconstitute it, we keep the click-by-click method for a U-100 pen in one place rather than printing a single fixed figure. This is reference information for researchers, never personal dosing advice.
Our interactive pen and dosing guide explains how clicks convert to milligrams on a U-100 pen, including a switch for 2mL or 3mL of bacteriostatic water. It is provided for research reference only and is not a recommendation for human use. Message us and our team will happily walk you through it.
Purity and testing
With a peptide as targeted as SS-31, identity and purity are everything, because they determine whether research is meaningful. Every NovaPeptides batch is independently tested by Novagen Laboratories and documented on a verifiable SS-31 COA, so you are never asked to simply take our word for it.
Every batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis carrying a unique key you can read and check for yourself. No smoke, no mirrors, just full transparency. Ask us and we will send the report. That openness, backed by over 3 years supplying research peptides to Australians, is exactly why researchers feel in safe hands ordering SS-31 in Australia from NovaPeptides.
Verified by Novagen Laboratories
Every NovaPeptides batch, including the SS-31 in the SS-31 research kit, ships with a verifiable Novagen Laboratories Certificate of Analysis covering identity, content and purity. Each certificate carries a unique key so you can confirm it is genuine yourself.
Verify any batch yourself
No smoke, no mirrors. Copy the unique key printed on the COA, enter it at Novagen Laboratories, and the certificate is confirmed as genuine. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will send the report for your current batch.
Verify at novagenlaboratories.com →How to research SS-31 with NovaPeptides
At NovaPeptides, SS-31 is supplied within the SS-31 research kit as a complete, ready-to-assemble research kit rather than a loose vial, with the reusable dosing pen, bacteriostatic water, needle heads, an extraction syringe and a thermal hard case, plus a verifiable Novagen Laboratories Certificate of Analysis. Because the right concentration depends on how much bacteriostatic water you reconstitute with, we keep the click-by-click method on a U-100 pen in one place.
SS-31 research kit
Contains SS-31, supplied as a complete, ready-to-assemble research kit. Research use only.
Enquire about SS-31New to reconstitution? Our interactive pen and dosing guide shows how clicks convert to milligrams on a U-100 pen, with a switch for 2mL or 3mL of bacteriostatic water. It is provided for research reference only and is not a recommendation for human use. The dose you target is a decision for a qualified professional, not advice from us.
Frequently asked questions
What is SS-31?+
SS-31 is a small mitochondria-targeting peptide, also known clinically as elamipretide (research code MTP-131). Research describes it concentrating in the inner mitochondrial membrane and binding a lipid called cardiolipin, and it is widely studied in the context of cellular energy (ATP) and oxidative stress. NovaPeptides supplies SS-31 strictly for laboratory and research use, with a verifiable SS-31 COA on every batch.
What is SS-31 studied for?+
In published SS-31 mitochondrial research the peptide has been studied for binding cardiolipin and stabilising the cristae of the inner mitochondrial membrane, in the context of efficient ATP production, reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, and age-related and stress-related mitochondrial decline. These are research contexts only. SS-31 is supplied for laboratory and educational research and is not TGA-approved for human consumption.
Is SS-31 the same as elamipretide?+
Yes. SS-31 is the research name for the peptide known clinically as elamipretide (and by the codes MTP-131 and Bendavia). They are the same mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide, so if you have researched any of those names you are looking at the same compound.
How is SS-31 reconstituted?+
In a research setting the freeze-dried peptide is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water. NovaPeptides SS-31 is supplied as a 30mg vial in a complete kit, and our pen and dosing guide explains the click method on a U-100 pen, with a switch for 2mL or 3mL of bacteriostatic water. This is research reference information only, never personal dosing advice. Research use only.
Can I buy SS-31 in Australia?+
You can buy SS-31 in Australia from NovaPeptides, supplied as a complete research kit strictly for laboratory and research use and not TGA-approved for human consumption. We are Australian-owned and have supplied research peptides to Australians for over 3 years, with same-day dispatch from the Gold Coast, discreet tracked shipping Australia-wide, and a verifiable Novagen Laboratories SS-31 COA (with a unique key you can check yourself) on every batch. Researching with a transparent, established Australian supplier is exactly what puts hesitant buyers at ease.
Researching SS-31?
Message us and we will walk you through SS-31, the COA, reconstitution and how the kit goes together.
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