IDIBAPS, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer

Services:

The Biobank is a centralised institutional support platform for coordinating the collection, processing, storage and transfer of biological samples to promote biomedical research of the highest standard.

When it was first set up, the Biobank had a dual mission:

• To provide the scientific community with standard, well characterised biological samples with high added value, in order to promote, foster and develop biomedical research in accordance with current legislation
• To standardise all the Institute's research sample collections (in accordance with article 67 of Law 14/2007, relating to Biomedical Research Act)

The bank’s catalogue of samples is divided into three broad categories which are available for scientific purposes for the consolidation of personalized medicine:

Neurological Tissue Biobank

A nervous tissue repository (brain and spinal cord) created from donations from cadavers with or without neurological conditions, helping to facilitate research into neurological illnesses in order to improve diagnoses and enhance patient assistance.

Tumour Biobank and Anatomical Pathologies Collections

A Repository of tumorous tissue and samples from cancer patients. This biobank also manages an extensive collection of other disease-related tissue provided by the Department of Anatomical Pathology at the Hospital Clínic from excess samples used in their diagnoses. This material is essential to providing current large-scale tissue research projects with the samples they require.

Blood and Fluid Biobank

This repository contains samples of metabolic, inflammatory bowel, hepatic, digestive and maternal and foetal diseases, among others. It houses a large range of samples of scientific interest, primarily DNA, serum and plasma, which are provided by doctors’ surgeries and laboratories where blood and fluid are taken for lab tests and blood and fluid donation.

The Biobank of Hospital Clínic – IDIBAPS offers a wide range of samples and services. The scientific community may make full use of the bank’s equipment and professional staff to achieve their most ambitious goals. The work of the biobank goes beyond simply providing samples; they offer support to researchers during the various stages of projects requiring the use of biological samples.

SAMPLE PROVIDING

• Nerve tissue from cadaveric donors affected by neurologic diseases
• Frozen biological samples and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks representing the most common tumours
• DNA, serum, plasma and PBMCs from different diseases as well as from control donors

TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ADVICE

• Creation and management of new collections
• Methodology (technical guidance)
• Experimental design with human and animal tissue samples
• Design and interpretation of immunohistochemical studies
• Quality management programmes
• Harmonization of quality procedures for the handling of DNA samples
• Technical assessment for the manipulation of the Biobank equipment (microdissector and morphometre)

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT

• Collection management of multicentre studies
• Storage of pre-existing collections

HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES

• Processing of frozen and paraffin embedded tissues (macroscopy, cryopreservation, paraffin blocks)
• Lasser microdissection
• Tissue microarrays (TMA)
• Histological staining
• Definitive neuropathological diagnosis of neurological diseases

CELLULAR TECHNIQUES

• Purification and cryopreservation of mononuclear cells
• Immortalization of B lymphocytes
• Explant obtaining

MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES

• DNA extraction from peripheral blood
• DNA/RNA/protein extraction from tissue (frozen and paraffin embedded)
• WGA
• Serum and plasma isolation

Equipment:

• -20ºC, -80ºC and -150ºC freezers with safety systems
• Vapour phase liquid Nitrogen tanks

Neurological tissue bank

• Cubicles for obtaining the material in sterile conditions
• Instruments for preparing samples for the microscope
• Filing cabinets for collecting paraffined samples
• Gas filtration cabinet
• Automated immunostaining appliance
• Combination refrigerator and -40ºC freezer for preserving fungibles
• Autoclave for sterilising surgical material

Tumour bank

• Equipment for preparing tissue microarrays
• Tissue microdissection microscope with laser
• Microtome and cryostat

Blood and Fluid Biobank

• Programmable freezer with a controlled freezing ramp
• “Chemagic MSM1®” automated device for obtaining DNA from large volumes of blood
• "Tecan EVO150®” automated station for the aliquoting of samples
• “CoulterZ1®” cells and particles counter
• Cabinets for isolating cells in sterile conditions
• Cell immortalisation platform
• Computer systems for managing samples and related data