Conquering Diseases Biorepository Core
Biorepositories that support biomedical research must be efficient, secure facilities that make specimens and clinical information easily available to investigators. This requires secure methods of sample collection, conveyance, extraction and preservation that maintain and safeguard links to de-identified clinical information using an unbroken chain of custody.
The acquisition process involves human subjects and their consent and presents an opportunity to increase public support for broad-based clinical research efforts. The Conquering Diseases Biorepository Core established at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has leveraged this opportunity in two significant and unique ways.
The blood samples banked in the repository are collected from consented volunteers, rather than being obtained as discarded samples. Collecting blood specifically for long-term preservation is the best known method for acquiring samples that enter the storage facility with the lowest achievable levels of degradation.
Most repositories are banking DNA and protein products, but few are isolating or preserving RNA. UMMS has accepted the challenge of banking RNA to support the strong RNA research programs at our institution. Under usual laboratory conditions RNA is more subject to degradation than DNA or proteins. Biorepository Core staff are capable of isolating from blood high molecular weight DNA and total RNA (including small RNA species) in quantities adequate for biobanking with purity that allows substantial flexibility in subsequent assay or usage. The key to success is a process that achieves high levels of confidence in the maintenance of samples' integrity during their acquisition, storage, and retrieval.
REMP Sample Management System
The Core has an automated acquisition process that includes the REMP Sample Management System which provides the best available storage solution. The system offers plates and tube racks in both a 96-well and 384-well format for storage and secure methods for linking each sample and de-identified clinical information using the MICARD and I2B2 platforms.
A component of the REMP Sample Management System is the REMP Sample Safe- a -80°C fully automated (robotic) sample storage and retrieval system that is secure from tampering, unauthorized sample access, sample misclassification or loss, and mechanical failure. It is compatible with the REMP Tube Technology and is interfaced with the REMP Data Management Software (SAS), including complete audit trails, event log files that meet regulatory standards for thermal stability, and allow efficient sample retrieval.
The unit has a fully redundant cooling system and can be externally monitored. Individual tubes can be robotically picked from the tube racks under stable temperature conditions, maintaining thermal stability of samples in the rack that were not selected for retrieval. Importantly, it sets standards of thermal stability, security, ease of access and flexibility of format allows the biomedical research community to have the confidence to use it for their research.
For More Information Please Contact:
Conquering Diseases
University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North, S7-404
Worcester, MA 01655
Joanne Meisner
Tel: 508-856-2556
Fax: 508-856-5804
joanne.meisner@umassmed.edu