Testing labs in Amsterdam

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by RvA (No. M291) testing laboratory (accreditation status: active). Located at 1060 CR, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

BioDetection Systems B.V. (BDS) is a Dutch biotechnology and contract testing laboratory headquartered at Science Park 406, 1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded on a mission to protect human health and the environment through innovative in vitro methods, BDS has built a global reputation as a specialist in effect-based bioanalytical testing. The company serves an international clientele that includes environmental regulators, food and feed producers, water utilities, chemical manufacturers, cosmetics companies, and academic research institutions, providing contract analysis, technology licensing, method development, and scientific consultancy. The centerpiece of BDS's testing portfolio is the proprietary CALUX® (Chemical Activated Luciferase gene eXpression) bioassay platform—a suite of highly sensitive, mechanism-based, cell reporter gene assays that quantify the biological activity of chemical compounds and complex mixtures rather than measuring chemical concentrations alone. Unlike conventional chemical analytical methods, CALUX bioassays detect the combined toxic or hormonal potency of all biologically active substances present in a sample, making them uniquely suited for compliance screening, hazard identification, effect-directed analysis, and the discovery of novel bioactive substances. BDS both operates the CALUX assays within its own accredited service laboratory and licenses the cell lines and assay kits to partner laboratories worldwide. BDS offers an extensive panel of CALUX reporter assays spanning a broad range of analytes and biological endpoints. The DR CALUX® assay—BDS's flagship screening tool—targets the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway to quantify dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in food, feed, environmental, and water matrices, expressing results as Bioanalytical Equivalents (BEQs) correlated to WHO toxic equivalency factors (TEFs). For endocrine disruption testing, BDS provides ER CALUX® for estrogenic activity, AR CALUX® for androgenic activity, and TR CALUX® for thyroid receptor activity, enabling the detection of (anti)estrogens, (anti)androgens, and thyroid-active compounds in water, food, and consumer product matrices. The laboratory also offers assays targeting genotoxicity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and other persistent organic pollutants, as well as complementary confirmatory chemical analysis of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, and non-dioxin-like PCBs by GC-MS/MS. BDS supports a wide range of industry application areas. In the food and feed sector, CALUX bioassays provide rapid, high-throughput screening for dioxins and PCBs in complex matrices including fish oils, animal fats, eggs, dairy products, infant formula, and compound feeds, complementing confirmatory chemical analysis and significantly reducing the cost of routine compliance monitoring under EU Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006. In the water and environmental sector, BDS tests surface water, groundwater, influent, effluent, sediments, and recycled water for estrogenic activity, dioxin-like potency, and other bioactive contaminants. Notably, BDS received official approval from the California State Water Boards for use of its bioassays in recycled water monitoring programs—a major regulatory milestone demonstrating the international credibility of its methods. BDS also serves the consumer products, cosmetics, and specialty chemicals sectors for product safety assessment and compliance, and collaborates with food, nutraceutical, and dietary supplement manufacturers seeking to identify and substantiate novel beneficial bioactivities. BDS is accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (Raad voor Accreditatie, RvA) to EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 under registration number L401. The accreditation scope covers bioanalysis of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds by DR CALUX®, confirmatory chemical analysis of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, and non-dioxin-like PCBs by GC-MS/MS in food and feed matrices, and analysis of (pseudo-)estrogens in water samples. In addition to ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, BDS holds GMP+ B10 certification within the GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance scheme of GMP+ International, confirming compliance with rigorous feed safety quality management standards. The laboratory also meets Q&S and KAT certification requirements applicable to dioxin monitoring programs in food and feed supply chains. BDS operates from purpose-built laboratories at the Amsterdam Science Park, one of the Netherlands' leading life sciences and technology innovation campuses. The facility houses dedicated cell culture, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry laboratories staffed by a multidisciplinary team of experienced scientists with expertise in mechanistic toxicology, bioanalytical chemistry, molecular biology, and environmental science. BDS has been an active contributor to the international scientific community through peer-reviewed publications, participation in interlaboratory proficiency testing programs, and the organization of the annual BioDetectors Conference—a respected forum for researchers, industry professionals, and regulators working to advance the use of bioassays in monitoring and regulatory compliance (15th edition held in June 2025; 16th edition planned for Stockholm in June 2026). Beyond routine contract testing services, BDS provides technology transfer of CALUX cell lines and assay kits, enabling partner and licensee laboratories to run accredited assays in-house. The company offers comprehensive support packages including training, assay validation, method adaptation to novel matrices, and ongoing scientific consulting for organizations integrating effect-based bioanalysis into their quality control or environmental monitoring programs. Custom research and development projects are also undertaken for pharmaceutical, chemical, and regulatory clients requiring bespoke bioassay solutions. For buyers seeking rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective screening of complex samples for dioxin-like compounds, endocrine-active substances, genotoxic agents, PFASs, PAHs, and other persistent environmental contaminants, BDS represents a highly credible and deeply specialized analytical partner. Its combination of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation (RvA L401), GMP+ B10 certification, California Water Board regulatory approval, a unique proprietary bioassay platform, and decades of published scientific leadership ensures that test results are defensible for regulatory submission, research publication, and commercial quality assurance purposes worldwide.

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by RvA (No. C130) testing laboratory (accreditation status: active). Located at 1059 CM, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by RvA (No. 999999) testing laboratory (accreditation status: active). Located at 1012, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

EY CertifyPoint is an accredited certification body, part of EY, providing management-system certification (such as ISO standards) to organisations worldwide through its global network of auditors.

Eurofins Omegam is a Dutch environmental laboratory performing extensive chemical and physical analysis of environmental matrices such as soil, water and waste with advanced instrumentation. Part of Eurofins Environment Testing in the Netherlands.