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 Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and many other animals. In placental mammals, urine flows from the Kidney (vertebrates), kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder and exits the urethra through the penile meatus (mal ...

, tissue, cells,

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...

, and

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

s. If the samples are from people, they may be stored with medical information along with written consent to use the samples in laboratory studies.

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 A laboratory information management system (LIMS), sometimes referred to as a laboratory information system (LIS) or laboratory management system (LMS), is a software-based solution with features that support a modern laboratory's operations. K ...

("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: * SOPs reduce variability within the samples and storage processes by providing standardized guidelines for proper storage and care. * Biospecimen samples should closely resemble biospecimens in their natural state. SOPs help ensure that. * SOPs provide a standardized framework of how to conduct operations within a biorepository. They ensure seamless and reliable processes be implemented throughout operations.

Biological Resource Centres

The

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...

has issued best practice guidelines for biorepositories, which are referred to as ''biological resource centres''. 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 Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...

and

human cells The list of human cell types provides an enumeration and description of the various specialized cells found within the human body, highlighting their distinct functions, characteristics, and contributions to overall physiological processes. Cell ...

), replicable parts of these (e.g.

genomes A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

plasmids A plasmid is a small, extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found as small circular, double-stranded DNA molecules in bacteria and ...

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almo ...

, cDNAs), viable but not yet culturable

organisms An organism is any living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Many criteria, few of them widely accepted, have been pr ...

, cells and tissues, as well as databases containing

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...

physiological Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

and structural information relevant to these collections and related

bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field of science that develops methods and Bioinformatics software, software tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses biology, ...

Examples of Biorepositories in the United States

Cell Line Repositories

* The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Human Cell and Data Repository maintains a collection of cell lines to advance the study of neurological disorders. * The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Aging Cell Repository facilitates research into the mechanisms of aging by providing cell lines collected from subjects of different ages. * The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Human Genetic Cell Repository is collection of well-characterized human cells for use in biomedical research.

Sample Repositories

* The

Intermountain Healthcare Intermountain Health (formerly Intermountain Healthcare) is a United States Non-profit organization, not-for-profit Health care, healthcare system with 385 clinics and 33 hospitals in the Intermountain West (primarily Colorado, Idaho, Montana, N ...

Biorepository is a collection of over 4.5 million biological samples preserved in formalin and embedded in paraffin wax. * The J. Craig Venter Institute Human Reference Genome makes available DNA samples from J. Craig Venter, whose genome has been sequenced and assembled. * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Genetic Testing Reference Material Program (GeT-RM) maintains DNA samples for use in molecular genetic testing. These samples are from diseases such as Huntington Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Fragile X Syndrome, Alpha-Thalassemia, and Muenke Syndrome.

References

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External links

Specimen Central biorepository list
A worldwide listing of active biobanks and biorepositories
Clinical Specimens Database and Specimen Collections Repository

A LIMS software solution for biobanking and biorepositories
Global Directory of Biobanks, Tissue Banks and Biorepositories

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases HIV/AIDS Specimen Repository

International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories ("ISBER")

ProMedDx BioServices cGMP Biostorage & Biorepository - Biorepository Consulting Design

Cell&Co Biorepository - The first French Eco-Biobank

- What is a Biorepository?
Biological specimens