Netherlands Genomics Initiative: NPC
The Netherlands Proteomics Centre started in 2003 as on the four enabling technology centres that were initiated by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI) to improve the genomics-based research in the Netherlands. From 2003 until 2013, the NPC dedicated itself to advancing proteomics research and technology development across Dutch academic and industrial institutes. Coordinated by prof. dr. Albert Heck of Utrecht University, the center established world-class facilities for protein analysis throughout institutes in the Netherlands, supported numerous collaborative research projects, and trained a new generation of proteomics experts, ultimately positioning the Netherlands at the forefront of the rapidly evolving proteomics field and as a global leader in protein science and its applications in health and biotechnology.
NWO Roadmap: Proteins At Work
From 2013-2018 the NPC coordinated the program Proteins At Work, funded with 13,5 million euro from NWO to set up a large-scale research facility. Proteins At Work made high-level technology, equipment and expertise for studying proteins in cells and tissues available to the biological and biomedical researchers in the Netherlands. The facility was coordinated by Utrecht University and consisted of a core facility at Utrecht University, with smaller out-stations at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), the Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam (EMC Rotterdam) and the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU)
NWO Roadmap: X-Omics
Since 2018, the NPC participates in the Netherlands X-omics Initiative (X-omics), a National Roadmap Large-Scale Research Infrastructure, funded by NWO with a total budget of 40 million euro. The project started September 2018 and will last for 10 years. X-omics aims to establish a X-omics research infrastructure across the Netherlands, by combining technologies in the field of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and data analysis, integration & stewardship. With this infrastructure biomedical problems can be solved using an integrated approach, through the analysis of samples using the different available omics technologies of the infrastructure and a by providing support for the integration of the data from the different technologies.
Oncode Accelerator
Since 2023, the NPC is part of Oncode Accelerator, a unique national collaboration coordinated by six partners: Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht and Oncode Accelerator Foundation. Oncode Accelerator enhances and accelerates the development of new cancer therapies by involving the patient earlier in the process. The program is a joint effort of more than 30 public and private partners from the oncology ecosystem. Oncode Accelerator has been awarded €325 million from the Dutch National Growth Fund, disbursed in phases. In 2023, the program launched with an initial injection of €164 million, followed by a second round of funding of €123 million in July 2025.
The NPC is co-lead of the Oncode Accelerator Therapeutic Vaccines Workstream, together with the group of prof. Sebastiaan van Heesch, from the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology (PMC). In this workstream, both groups will focus on building an integrated infrastructure dedicated to finding vaccine leads, aiming at harmonizing innovations in sequencing technologies and computation (PMC) with proteomics evaluation of putative tumor antigen expression and presentation (NPC).
NWO Roadmap: BioBeyond_NL
In the fall of 2025, a new roadmap program from the NWO was awarded to the NPC. In collaboration with Maastricht University, the BioBeyond_NL Consortium has been awarded 17 million euro from NWO, with more than half allocated to Utrecht, for investments in mass spectrometry, glycoscience and computational facilities in the Bijvoet Centre, UIPS and the IICS. The funding will support the creation of a national infrastructure over the course of 10 years, aiming at advancing the understanding of the structure and function of proteins and sugars in their natural environment.
The coordinator of BioBeyond_NL is prof. dr. Ron Heeren of Maastricht University. The NPC, including prof. Albert Heck, dr. Kelly Stecker and dr. Pavel Sinitcyn, will collaborate within the Utrecht University with prof. dr. Geert-Jan Boons, dr. Jack Li and prof. dr. Sanne Abeln from the departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Science, Biology and Chemistry.