AA-1+ Add
Free amino acids
19 amino acids + ammonia in media, broth, drinks and extracts.
$150per sampleDetails →
AQC separation · UV 260 nm · illustrative
HPLC testing laboratory · Davis, California
Amino acid, creatineand custom HPLC testing,priced and booked online.
Free and total amino acids for bioprocess, food and supplement teams, creatine checked against the label, and methods built for the compounds you need measured. Every report shows the chromatogram and the QC behind the numbers.
Published pricesBook onlineChromatogram and QC in every report
AA-T+ Add
Total amino acids
Composition of proteins, powders and hydrolysates after acid hydrolysis.
$230per sampleDetails →
CR-1+ Add
Creatine
Creatine in powders, capsules, gummies and drinks, against the label.
$120per sampleDetails →
PILOT+ Add
New customers
5 samples of the free amino acid profile (AA-1) with the full report, for $250 — credited in full to your first order within 90 days.
$250for 5 samplesDetails →
What we measure
All servicesThree fixed-price tests and custom methods
Each test has one published price and its own report format. Anything not on the list starts with a free feasibility call.
AA-1Free amino acid analysis
What your cells or microbes took up and what they left behind, from one injection.
- 19 amino acids and ammonia, in µM and mg/L
- Spent and fresh media, broth, wort, juice, drinks, extracts
- Run packages for whole bioreactor time courses
$150per sample · $125 at 25+/month+ Add to orderDetails →
AA-TTotal amino acids
Amino acid composition of a protein, powder or hydrolysate after 6 N HCl hydrolysis.
- 16 amino acids in g/100 g and mol%
- Proteins, protein powders, peptones, feed, biomass
- Free and total on the same sample
$230per sample · $150 analysis + $80 hydrolysis+ Add to orderDetails →
CR-1Creatine testing
Creatine content by HPLC-UV, checked against your label claim.
- % w/w or mg per serving
- Powders, capsules, gummies, ready-to-drink
- Chromatogram and check standard with every result
$120per sample, flat+ Add to orderDetails →
MD-0 · MD-1Custom HPLC methods
For compounds and matrices beyond the price list: we develop, document and run the method.
- Free 30-minute feasibility call
- Fixed project price agreed after the call
- Routine samples, or the method handed over
Free callthen a fixed project priceBook the free callDetails →
Order builder
Price any combination, then book
Mix tests, sample types and preparation in one order. The total updates as you change it, and booking sends the order straight to the lab.
From tube to report
What happens after you book
One analysis batch a week. You always know where your samples are and what comes next.
1
Build and book
Pick tests, sample type and preparation; the total updates live. Booking takes a minute.
online2
We confirm by email
Your start date, the sample sheet and the shipping address. Nothing ships before this.
before you ship3
Ship your samples
Labeled to match the sample sheet and packed as it describes.
your courier4
Preparation
Protein removal, hydrolysis or extraction as the test requires, with an internal standard.
weekly batch5
HPLC and QC
Calibration and a QC standard in every run; every result is reviewed before release.
same batch6
Report
PDF with results, chromatogram and QC summary. Raw data as CSV on request.
target 5 business daysEvery report
Every result comes with the data behind it
Numbers alone are hard to trust and harder to defend. Each report carries what you need to check them.
And if your project genuinely needs an accredited lab, we say so plainly: what accreditation means, what we are, and when it matters.
- Results tableµM and mg/L for free amino acids, g/100 g and mol% for totals, % w/w or mg per serving for creatine.
- Chromatogram for every sampleSee the peaks behind each number, not just the table.
- Calibration and QC summaryInternal standard, run QC standard, blanks and below-LOQ flags.
- Raw data on requestCSV for your own processing and records.
Example report · PDF
Applications
All applicationsBuilt for the samples you actually have
Hover a card to see the kind of result each one gives. Every page covers what we measure, the questions it answers and the caveats.
Cell culture media
Glutamine, ammonia, asparagine and essential amino acids in fresh, fed and spent media.
Explore →Cell and gene therapy
Spent-media amino acids and ammonia from T-cell, NK, iPSC and HEK293 vector runs.
Explore →Precision & microbial fermentation
Free amino acids and ammonia in yeast, fungal and bacterial broths.
Explore →Cultivated meat
Spent-media profiles for media cost, recycling and hydrolysate media.
Explore →Protein hydrolysates & peptones
Free and total amino acids: lot checks and how much is still in peptides.
Explore →Wine & brewing
Ammonia and amino acids in juice and wort, to calculate YAN.
Explore →Supplements, beverages & pet food
BCAAs, glutamine, arginine and creatine against the label.
Explore →Something else?
Custom HPLC methods for other compounds and matrices, starting with a free feasibility call.
Custom methods →Methods
Methods libraryHow the measurements work
Every method page explains the chemistry, what can distort a result, and cites its sources.
Amino acids
How AQC derivatization works
How the tag makes amino acids visible at 260 nm, and what can distort it.
Read →ProteinsAcid hydrolysis of proteins
What 6 N HCl at 110 °C releases, converts and destroys.
Read →CreatineCreatine by HPLC-UV
How creatine is separated and checked against the label claim.
Read →Every runHow we control quality
Internal standards, QC standards, blanks and below-LOQ flags.
Read →
About OpenChemWorks
An independent testing lab in Davis, California
OpenChemWorks is an independent analytical laboratory providing amino acid analysis, creatine testing and custom HPLC methods to biotech, food, supplement and academic clients. Every price is published, every sample runs with an internal standard and QC, and every report shows the data behind the numbers.
19 + NH₃free amino acids per profile
16amino acids after hydrolysis
5 daystarget turnaround from receipt
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I order?
Use the order builder on this page or the prices page: pick the tests, the sample type and any preparation, and the total updates as you go. Book with your name and email. We reply with your start date, the sample sheet and the shipping address; ship after that email.
How does the pilot work?
New customers can send 5 samples of the free amino acid profile (AA-1) for $250 total, one pilot per company. You get the same report as any order, and the $250 is credited in full to your first order if placed within 90 days of the report.
What do you test?
Free amino acids and ammonia (AA-1) in media, broth, drinks and extracts; total amino acids after acid hydrolysis (AA-T) in proteins, powders and hydrolysates; and creatine (CR-1) in powders, capsules, gummies and drinks. Other compounds are measured with custom HPLC methods.
Do you measure total amino acids?
Yes. Total amino acid analysis (AA-T) hydrolyzes the sample in 6 N HCl at 110 °C for 24 hours, then measures the released amino acids. It is $150 per sample plus $80 for hydrolysis, $230 in total. Tryptophan and cysteine are not reported, and asparagine and glutamine are reported with aspartate and glutamate (Asx, Glx).
Do you test creatine?
Yes. Creatine quantitation (CR-1) measures creatine by HPLC in powders, capsules, gummies and drinks, reported as % w/w or mg per serving. It is $120 per sample, flat; the order minimum is $150.
Can you test compounds that are not on the price list?
Often, yes, through custom HPLC method development. It starts with a free 30-minute feasibility call; the development project then has a fixed price, and routine samples on the finished method have a per-sample price.
Which amino acids are reported?
The free amino acid profile reports 19 proteinogenic amino acids and ammonia; cysteine and cystine need their own workup. The total amino acid profile reports 16 amino acids after hydrolysis.
How are results delivered?
As a PDF report with concentrations, the chromatogram and the run's quality-control summary. Raw data is available as CSV on request.
Is there a minimum number of samples?
No. One sample is a normal order; the minimum order value is $150. Volume pricing for the free amino acid profile: $125 per sample at 25+ a month, $99 on a standing monthly order.
Is my sample information confidential?
Yes. Sample descriptions, results and client details are shared only with the submitting client.