High Quality, Standardised Biological Sample Collection, Processing & Storage

The UCD Clinical Research Centre has developed significant infrastructure to enable the collection, processing and storage of biological samples from patients with a range of diseases. We provide both the support and facilities that investigators need to establish high quality sample collections. Throughout the sample life cycle we have implemented effective procedures including:

• COLLECTION PLANNING

Streamlined procedure for samples collection

•  SAMPLE COLLECTION

Streamlined route for sample delivery to the UCD CRC

•  SAMPLE PROCESSING

State of the art laboratory facilities housing all necessary equipment required for the processing of a wide variety of sample types

•  SAMPLE STORAGE

Large bio-banking facility which features a 24hr temperature monitoring system

•  SAMPLE SHIPPING AND ANALYSIS

Multiple diagnostic platforms available for use on site

The UCD CRC bio-banking service currently houses over 40 major ongoing collections and registries. Based at the CRC facilities at St Vincent’s University Hospital and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, the service is staffed by Lab Managers on both sites, with all freezers monitored remotely 24/7.

The UCD CRC has expertise and experience in providing bio-banking support to a wide variety of studies, and can provide a suite of validated protocols and bespoke studyspecific procedures to accommodate all requirements for collection of biological fluids, tissue and primary cell lines.

Before being initiated into any study all staff must have signed off acknowledgement and compliance to all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) established in the UCD CRC. The SOPs are specific to all clinical, laboratory, regulatory and quality aspects vital in the conduct of research activities at the UCD CRC. A comprehensive Laboratory Manual, containing all relevant laboratory practices, is provided to all laboratory staff.

Key Features:

• Regularly-reviewed SOPs and QM system
• Fully-trained, dedicated staff on 2 sites
• Quality Routine processing
• Over 40 major collections and registries
• A total of storage systems including:
  • 6x -20˚c
  • 3x -40˚c
  • 30x -80˚c
  • 10x LN2 storage vessels
  • 24/7 temperature monitoring system implemented across both sites to ensure sample integrity is preserved
  • Secure facilities supported by state of the art monitoring systems emergency response plans
  • Standardised sample labelling and logging across all UCD CRC supported studies
  • Samples are assigned unique patient identifiers to ensure patient anonymity is guaranteed

Established in 2011 at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and housing state of the art high throughput analysers, the UCD CRC-Abbott Core Biomarker Laboratory provides Investigators and Industry with high throughput, high fidelity, effective and bespoke biomarker analysis services.

In addition to instrumentation valued at €1m+ Abbott have provided additional direct funding of over €500,000 and supplied kits valued at over €1,000,000. To date over 28,000 samples from 15 national and international studies have been used to complete over 65,000 tests. Analysis completed to date include measurement of biomarker levels in a wide range of studies including:

• UCD Acute Kidney Injury Biomarker Validation Programme
• UCD Diabetes & Obesity Research Programme
• International studies, including collaborations with: Yale, Johns Hopkins, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and UCSF.

Technology Infrastructure:

ABBOTT ARCHITECT CI4100 INTEGRATED CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND IMMUNOASSAY

The ARCHITECT ci4100 offers a maximum throughput of up to 900 tests per hour, including 800 clinical chemistry tests and 100 immunoassays.

ARCHITECT I2000SR IMMUNOASSAY ANALYSER

The ARCHITECT i2000SR Immunoassay Analyzer offers a maximum throughput of up to 200 tests per hour.

ARCHITECT C4000 CLINICAL CHEMISTRY ANALYSER

(From Q2 2016) The ARCHITECT c4000 offers a maximum throughput of up to 800 tests per hour.

ELISA & PLATE WASHERS