SS-31 – Premium Research Peptide

SS-31 (also called Elamipretide) is a 4-amino-acid synthetic peptide designed to target cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane. SS stands for Szeto-Schiller, the two researchers who designed the peptide — Hazel Szeto and Peter Bhatt Schiller. The “31” is a numbering designation from their compound series.

The most common comparison is between SS-31 and MOTS-c. Both are studied in mitochondrial biology, but they’re fundamentally different in origin, direction, and mechanism.

Origin. SS-31 is entirely synthetic — designed in a laboratory by Szeto and Schiller. MOTS-c is naturally encoded by mitochondrial DNA and produced by the body itself.

Direction. SS-31 travels to the mitochondria from outside. MOTS-c originates inside the mitochondria and travels outward — to the cytoplasm, nucleus, and bloodstream.

Mechanism. SS-31 targets cardiolipin in the inner membrane. MOTS-c activates the AMPK energy-sensing pathway in the cytoplasm.