ADL · Research Transparency

COA Command Center

Everything you need to understand, evaluate, and verify Certificates of Analysis for research compounds. Vendor-neutral. Education-first. RUO compliant.

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What is a COA

A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a document issued by a laboratory that reports the results of testing performed on a specific batch of a compound. It confirms what is in the sample, how pure it is, and which testing methods were used to reach those conclusions.

There is an important distinction between a supplier-issued COA and an independent third-party COA. A supplier-issued COA is generated by the manufacturer or seller of the compound — the same party with a financial interest in selling it. An independent third-party COA is produced by a laboratory that has no commercial relationship with the product being sold, making its results far more credible.

For research use only (RUO) compounds, a third-party COA is the primary mechanism of quality verification available to researchers. Axis Direct Labs commissions independent third-party laboratory testing; the laboratory that performed the testing is named on each batch's COA, so you can confirm it for your specific lot rather than relying on a supplier claim.

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How to Read a COA

A valid COA should clearly display the following fields. Each serves a specific verification purpose:

Compound Name

The full chemical or common name of the substance tested. Should match the product label exactly.

Lot Number

A unique batch identifier. Every COA must reference a specific lot. Generic or missing lot numbers are a red flag.

Test Date

The date testing was performed. Verify it is recent and plausible for the batch you received.

Testing Method

The analytical technique used — e.g., HPLC for purity, mass spectrometry for identity. Method must be explicitly stated.

Purity Result

Expressed as a percentage. Meaningful only when accompanied by the testing method and reference standard used.

Identity Confirmation

Confirms the compound is what it claims to be. Purity alone does not confirm identity.

Lab Name

The name and contact information of the testing laboratory. Must be independently verifiable.

Authorizing Signature

A signature from the authorizing scientist or lab director, confirming the results are officially released.

[ COA ANNOTATION GRAPHIC — INSERT AFTER KOVERA RESULTS RECEIVED ]

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COA Terminology Glossary

HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography)

An analytical technique used to separate, identify, and quantify components in a mixture. Commonly used to determine the purity percentage of a compound by measuring peak areas against a reference standard.

Mass Spectrometry

An analytical method that identifies compounds by measuring the mass-to-charge ratio of ionized particles. Used for identity confirmation — verifying that the compound is what it claims to be.

Purity Percentage

The proportion of the target compound relative to all detected substances in a sample, expressed as a percentage. A higher purity percentage indicates fewer impurities or degradation products.

Lot Number

A unique identifier assigned to a specific batch of material manufactured or processed together under the same conditions. Critical for traceability and linking results to a specific production run.

Reference Standard

A certified, highly characterized sample of a known compound used as a benchmark for comparison during analytical testing. Results are only meaningful if a valid reference standard was used.

Identity Confirmation

A test result confirming that the compound in a sample matches the claimed identity. Typically performed by mass spectrometry. A COA without identity confirmation only confirms purity, not what the substance actually is.

Sterility Testing

A test that determines whether a sample is free of viable microorganisms. Not currently performed on ADL compounds; relevant primarily for injectable or clinical-grade materials.

Endotoxin Testing

A test measuring the presence of bacterial endotoxins (pyrogens) in a sample. Commonly required for injectable compounds. Not currently in the ADL testing panel.

Water Content (Karl Fischer)

An analytical technique that precisely quantifies the moisture content within a sample. Relevant for lyophilized powders where excess moisture can accelerate degradation.

Residual Solvents

Organic solvents that may remain in a compound after the manufacturing process. Testing for residual solvents confirms that synthesis by-products have been adequately removed.

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Red Flags on a COA

The following are indicators that a COA may be fraudulent, incomplete, or insufficient for verifying compound quality:

1No laboratory name or logo present
2No lot number listed
3Undated or suspiciously old date
4Purity listed without testing method shown
5Supplier-issued only, no independent third party
6No reference standard listed
7Same COA reused across multiple products or batches
8PDF metadata shows document was edited after creation
9No identity confirmation, purity only
10Lab name is unverifiable or has no web presence

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Our Testing Methodology

ADL commissions Kovera Labs to perform two core analyses on each batch submitted for testing: HPLC purity analysis and mass spectrometry identity confirmation. HPLC quantifies what proportion of the sample is the target compound. Mass spectrometry confirms that the compound is, in fact, what it is represented to be.

We want to be transparent about what this testing does and does not establish:

"Single-point testing confirms identity and purity at one concentration. It does not constitute multi-point validation or pharmaceutical-grade release testing."

All compounds tested by ADL are research use only (RUO) materials. Testing is conducted to support research quality verification, not to establish clinical safety, efficacy, or suitability for human use.

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Our Testing Laboratories

Axis Direct Labs does not test its own compounds. Each batch is sent to an independent third-party analytical laboratory with no ownership stake in ADL and no financial relationship beyond standard testing fees. The laboratory that performed the testing is identified by name on that batch's Certificate of Analysis, so the testing source is verifiable for every lot rather than asserted as a blanket claim.

ADL has worked with independent laboratories including Kovera Labs (Buffalo Grove, IL) and Freedom Diagnostics. The specific laboratory for a given batch appears on its COA.

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