Biobank facilities
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The Biobank can offer a variety of services.
Planning
We can provide advice and assistance early in the planning stage of your study, including:
- choice of materials, sampling equipment and storage methods
- protocols for collecting and handling samples before despatch
Storage
With a large storage capacity of over 2000 m2, we can offer a variety of storage options and conditions to suit your requirements:
- minus 20ºC, minus 80ºC and minus 150ºC freezers with racks or other equipment depending on your sample sizes, format and quantities
- automatic storage rooms at minus 20ºC and minus 80ºC cold room
You can choose to transfer your existing freezers to our storage facilities or we can store your samples in our freezers.
All storage facilities, including freezers, are registered in a system for continuous temperature monitoring with an alarm function.
Sample processing and retrieval
We can store your samples without further handling or process them according to your specific requirements. We can also advise you about optimal sample collection through to the best processing and storage solution for your project.
Strict quality routines and thorough protocols ensure the security and traceability of all samples stored in the Biobank.
- Practical planning and design: We can advise on optimal methods to collect and store your samples.
- Data support : Thorough registration and barcode labelling ensures full traceability throughout the process.
- Registration: Material is registered into our secure data-management system on arrival.
- Sample separation: We can separate blood samples into different phases as required; plasma, serum or buffy coat.
- DNA extraction: DNA can be extracted from different biological materials, regardless of volume, using commercially available products. We can also offer normalisation of DNA concentration, and quality control e.g. DNA concentration, purity, PCR success rate and fragmentation.
- Aliquoting: Our robots ensure quick and accurate distribution of sample constituents in various volumes to appropriate storage media. Volumes ranging from µl to ml can be stored.
- Freezing: All material is stored within specified time limits to ensure quality. The bar code labelling system ensures that samples can be accurately positioned in plates, racks and freezers and stored for easy identification and rapid retrieval. We offer sample storage at minus 20 ˚C, at minus 80 or minus 150ºC. Continuous temperature monitoring is in operation, with duplicates of material stored in separate freezers for extra security.
- Retrieval: All samples can be easily located and retrieved from storage. We have secure methods for both manual and automated retrieval.
- Shipping: We use reliable shipping companies and couriers.
Contact us to find out more about how we can process your samples.
