Biorepository

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A biorepository is a facility that collects, catalogs, and stores samples of biological material for laboratory research. Biorepositories collect and manage specimens from animals, plants, and other living organisms. Biorepositories store many different types of specimens, including samples of blood, urine, tissue, cells, DNA, RNA, and proteins. If the samples are from people, they may be stored with medical information along with written consent to use the samples in laboratory studies. [1]

Contents

Purpose

The purpose of a biorepository is to maintain biological specimens, and associated information, for future use in research. The biorepository maintains the quality of specimens in its collection and ensures that they are accessible for scientific research.

Operations

The four main operations of a biorepository are; (i) collection (ii) processing, (iii) storage or inventory, and (iv) distribution of biological specimens.

(i) Collection or accession occurs when a specimen arrives at the biorepository. Information about the specimen is entered into the laboratory information management system ("LIMS"), which tracks information about all of the specimens in the biorepository. Typical information linked to a specimen would be the specimen's origin and when it arrived at the biorepository.

(ii) Processing of specimens is standardized to minimize variation due to handling. Processing may prepare the specimen for long-term storage. For example, DNA samples are processed into a salt buffer (aqueous solution) of proper pH to stabilize the DNA for storage.

(iii) Storage and inventory are where all samples are held prior to being requested via a distribution request. The inventory system is composed of sample holding boxes and the boxes are stored in freezers of various types depending on the sample storage requirements.

(iv) Distribution is the process of retrieving one or more samples from the biorepository inventory system.

Standard Operating Procedures

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) play a crucial role in the biorepository industry. There are a number of reasons why they are important:

Biological Resource Centres

The OECD has issued best practice guidelines for biorepositories, which are referred to as biological resource centres. [4] [5] They are defined by the OECD as follows:

"Biological Resource Centres are an essential part of the infrastructure underpinning biotechnology. They consist of service providers and repositories of the living cells, genomes of organisms, and information relating to heredity and the functions of biological systems. BRCs contain collections of culturable organisms (e.g. micro-organisms, plant, animal and human cells), replicable parts of these (e.g. genomes, plasmids, viruses, cDNAs), viable but not yet culturable organisms, cells and tissues, as well as databases containing molecular, physiological and structural information relevant to these collections and related bioinformatics." [6]

Examples of Biorepositories in the United States

Cell Line Repositories

Sample Repositories

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

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  4. Smith, D; Ryan, MJ (January 2008). "The impact of OECD best practice on the validation of cryopreservation techniques for microorganisms". Cryo letters. 29 (1): 63–72. PMID   18392291.
  5. OECD Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres
  6. OECD BRC Guidelines
  7. "A Resource for Stem Cells including iPSCs and Fibroblasts | The NINDS Human Cell and Data Repository". nindsgenetics.org. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  8. 1 2 3 Siwek, Martina (October 2015). "An Overview of Biorepositories—Past, Present, and Future". Military Medicine. 180 (10S): 57–66. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00119.
  9. "NIA". www.coriell.org. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  10. "NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  11. "About the Intermountain Biorepository". intermountainhealthcare.org. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  12. "HuRef". www.coriell.org. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  13. "GeT-RM | CDC". www.cdc.gov. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2021-10-20.