Research-use boundary
This article is educational and limited to non-clinical research context, documentation practices, and terminology. It does not provide preparation, administration, dosing, treatment, diagnostic, cosmetic, or consumer-use guidance, and nothing here indicates that any material is suitable for human or animal use.
What a COA is
A certificate of analysis (COA) is a batch-specific quality record from an independent laboratory. It ties a single production lot to its measured purity, confirmed identity, and net content. It is documentation — not a marketing claim. Open the sample certificate above and follow along, section by section.
The header — what you are looking at
- Product and lot / batch number: the exact inventory lot the certificate covers.
- Accession and search code: the laboratory’s unique file identifier for the report.
- Received and reported dates: when the sample reached the lab and when results issued.
- Testing laboratory: the independent lab that ran the analysis.
Purity — HPLC-UV
High-performance liquid chromatography separates the sample so each component can be measured; the purity percentage is the share that is the target compound. VSA BioScience holds a ≥98% release floor — a lot that falls below it, or fails, is not released for sale.
Identity — LC-MS
Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry confirms the molecule’s mass matches the intended sequence. On a passing certificate this line reads “Identity: Confirmed.”
Net content & appearance
Net content is the measured mass in the vial against the labeled amount; appearance describes the lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Both should be consistent with the product on file.
Verify it yourself — the QR code
Every vial and report carries a QR code. Scanning it opens the laboratory’s own hosted certificate, so verification comes from the independent lab rather than from us. Always match the lot number printed on the vial to the lot number on the certificate.