Modern biomedical research and precision medicine increasingly depend on high-quality biological samples that maintain their integrity throughout the entire biobanking process.
Many laboratories struggle to maintain consistent protocols across the workflow, from collection and labeling through to transport, registration, processing and long-term storage.
This infographic highlights a standardized approach to ensure sample integrity and traceability across all critical stages.
Download this infographic to discover:
- A step-by-step overview of the biobanking workflow
- Efficient approaches to sample management
- Best practices that enhance sample tracking and accessibility
THE BIOBANKING WORKFLOW
Collection and labelling
Before the collection of samples, consent needs to be acquired.¹
Different samples may require special standard operation procedures for collection. The laboratory must ensure that its staff is aware of these procedures and follow them accordingly.
Transport
Samples require transportation from the collection site to the processing area. This transportation journey may be within the building, or it could require vehicle transport.
In both cases, samples need to be transferred with the correct documentation and using the appropriate containers.²
Registration
Each biospecimen should have a unique identifier to ensure effective tracking. The ID should be found on the biospecimen itself and in a biospecimen management programme.
The sample data within the biomanagement system should eventually include details such as date, location, quality, and type of sample processing.³
Processing
Samples need to be aliquoted and processed. Different samples may require different processing protocols (e.g. blood may require fractionation and tissue samples may need to be snap-frozen before storage).
These protocols are normally standardized and follow the biobank-specific regulations.² Downstream sample processing can occur in parallel or after sample storage.
Storage
The storage requirements depend on the sample itself. In general, blood samples may be stored at -80°C and tissues that have undergone fixation and paraffin wax embedment can be kept at room temperature.
Once stored, the final details are placed into the biomanagement system, so the samples can easily be retrieved.²
References:
Thompson R, McNamee M. Consent, ethics and genetic biobanks: the case of the Athlone project. BMC Genomics. 2017;18(S8). doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4189-1
Elliott P, Peakman T. The UK Biobank sample handling and storage protocol for the collection, processing and archiving of human blood and urine. Int J Epidemiol. 2008;37(2):234–244. doi:10.1093/ije/dym276
Thompson R, McNamee M. Consent, ethics and genetic biobanks: the case of the Athlone project. BMC Genomics. 2017;18(S8). doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4189-1
