NExTLi is currently being established as a national research infrastructure. Further information will be published as development progresses.

NExTLi

The National Expert Center for Translational Lipidomics

A coordinated Dutch research infrastructure enabling in-depth lipidomics — integrating structural resolution, spatial anchoring, and metabolic flux. NExTLi is designed for studies where sample amount is limiting (scarce material, small regions) and interpretation requires standardized, expert-guided workflows and FAIR-by-design outputs.

What NExTLi enables

  • Structural lipidomics: classes, species, isomers
  • Low-input workflows (scarce material, small regions)
  • Spatial integration (imaging/MSI-aware design)
  • Metabolic tracing / flux-informed interpretation
  • FAIR deliverables and portal-ready packaging

Why NExTLi

Many projects can generate lipid profiles, but mechanistic lipid biology often fails on structure, context, and dynamics — especially when samples are small or spatially defined. NExTLi brings these capabilities together as a shared infrastructure with standardized QC and expert-supported interpretation.

How it works

  • Intake: question, samples, constraints, desired outputs
  • Design: structural / spatial / flux strategy (incl. low-input feasibility)
  • Standardized processing, QC and documentation
  • Expert-supported analysis and interpretation
  • FAIR packaging for reuse and integration

Three capability pillars

Structural

Workflows designed for higher-confidence lipid annotation — including isomer-informed strategies when the biology requires it.

Spatial

Study design that links lipid measurements to regions, cell types, and imaging/MSI-aware sampling strategies — including small-region feasibility.

Flux

Tracer-informed experiments and interpretation that connect lipid changes to pathway dynamics and causality.