The Demonstration and Competence Lab (DCL) offers a highly structured environment for advanced metabolomics studies. DCL builds on fully validated, state-of-the-art platforms that each cover a part of the human metabolism and together span the complete human metabolome. DCL is particularly geared towards biomarker discovery of human disease and health.
DCL works according to ISO17025 guidelines and employs rigorous quality standards, working with well validated methods and using our quality control pipeline which provides correction for analytical variation, data monitoring by means of quality control reports and data standardization. This ensures robust data that enables truly comparative studies.
DCL is the core facility of the Netherlands Metabolomics Centre (NMC) and its customers include internal as well as external academic collaborators and pharmaceutical and industrial clients from all over the world, measuring over 15,000 profiles annually. DCL does not only perform routine measurements, but operates at the frontier of metabolomics developments and opportunities. The DCL team covers the complete track from involvement in experimental design, study set-up and sample collection to the actual measurements, data analysis, identification of unknown compounds and comprehensive feedback on the results. In close collaboration with customers, DCL defines a tailor-made approach that offers the best fit between your biological question and optimal use of the potential of our highly advanced facilities.
Currently available DCL platforms:
total number of metabolites | identified metabolites | absolute quantification | volume plasma/serum required for analysis | metabolite classes covered | |
Untargeted profiling platforms | |||||
Apolar lipids | 800 | 250 | 10 | 10 µl | phospholipids, cholesterol esters, di/triglycerides |
Polar lipids | 150 | 150 | 40 | 20 µl | free fatty acids, phospholipids |
Global medium polar | 250 | 120 | 40 | 50 µl | primary metabolites, sugars, organic acids, amines |
Bile acids | 15 | 15 | 15 | 50 µl | bile acids |
Targeted platforms |
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Oxylipins | 120 | 120 | 80 | 250 µl | hydroxylated fatty acids, prostaglandins, thromboxanes |
Biogenic amines | 100 | 100 | 70 | 5 µl | amino acids, catecholamines, polyamines |
Acylcarnitines | 50 | 50 | 20 | 10 µl | acylcarnitines, TMAO, choline, betaine |
Research platforms | |||||
Global apolar | 400 | 150 | 40 | 50 µl | peptides, hormones, cofactors |
Central carbon/energy metabolism | 300 | 220 | 100 | 10 µl | sugar phosphates, nucleotides |
Nitrosylated/signaling lipids | 60 | 60 | 60 | 250 µl | isoprostanes, sphinganine, sphingosine phosphate |
Endocannabinoids | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100 µl | fatty acid amines |
Folic acids | 6 | 6 | 6 | folate pathway metabolites |
Being embedded in the Netherlands Metabolomics Centre ensures that new technological opportunities are quickly recognized and further developed into new platforms. The DCL portfolio is therefore continuously improved and expanded.
More information & contact
For more information on technical details, access to DCL facilities and opportunities for collaboration, please contact Amy Harms, Senior Scientist at DCL, at: a.c.harms@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl