Patent ID: 7393920

Claim:
A process for the solid phase synthesis of peptides, which comprises: (a) transferring a solvated solid phase resin between a resin source external to a single microwave transparent vessel and into the microwave transparent vessel; (b) deprotecting a first amino acid linked to the solid phase resin by removing protective chemical groups from the first acid; (c) activating chemical groups on a second amino acid to prepare the second amino acid for coupling with the first amino acid; (d) coupling the activated second amino acid to the deprotected first amino acid to form a peptide from the first and second amino acids; (e) accelerating at least the deprotecting and coupling steps by applying microwave energy during the deprotecting, and coupling steps; and (f) successively deprotecting, activating, and coupling a plurality of amino acids into a peptide in the single microwave transparent vessel without removing the peptide from the single vessel between cycles.