NExTLi

The National Expert Center for Translational Lipidomics

A coordinated Dutch research infrastructure enabling structurally resolved, spatially anchored, and flux-informed lipidomics — with expert guidance and FAIR-by-design data handling to make mechanistic lipid biology feasible at national scale.

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. NExTLi brings those capabilities together as a shared infrastructure — with expert guidance and standardized outputs.

How it works

  • Intake: question, samples, constraints, desired outputs
  • Design: structural / spatial / flux strategy
  • Standardized processing and QC
  • 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.

Flux

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