Biobank research
In Sweden, all samples covered by the Swedish Biobank Act, i.e. identifiable samples that are stored or intended to be stored for more than nine months from when the sample is taken, and not destroyed immediately after analysis, must be stored in a Swedish biobank.
Samples stored in biobanks are known as biobank samples.
The samples are stored in various sample collections that have shared characteristics, for example if they were collected in the same research study. The largest group of samples in biobanks are those saved for the donor’s own treatment, but samples are also stored for the purposes of research, education and the development of analyses.
Region Skåne’s Biobank (RSB) includes around 30 biobank departments (PDF, 140 kB, new tab, in Swedish). Most of the biobank samples stored in Region Skåne’s biobank are registered in biobank department BD47, at the Central Biobank Facility (Swedish abbreviation CBE). CBE offers registration, storage and retrieval of biobank samples.
When starting a collection of samples
- If you are to begin a study that involves registering a collection of samples at one of Region Skåne’s biobank departments, you need to submit a biobank application to the regional biobank centre, Regionalt Biobankscentrum Syd (RBC Syd). Start by contacting RBC Syd for advice on the biobank application. RBCSYD [at] skane [dot] se (RBCSYD[at]skane[dot]se)
- You can then apply to start a new study and to obtain storage at, for example, the Central Biobank Facility at Region Skåne Biobank (in Swedish). Read through the information about the biobank facility, then send the request to RS136BD47 [at] skane [dot] se (RS136BD47[at]skane[dot]se)
- In cases where the sample collection is to be registered and stored at CBE, Laboratoriemedicin Bas usually handles the management of collected samples. Processing usually consists of centrifugation and aliquoting into smaller tubes, as well as freezing and transport to the biobank. Sampling and analyses may also be carried out by Laboratoriemedicin Bas. When contacting the Biobank Facility, you are also to contact Laboratoriemedicin Bas (in Swedish).
Retrieving samples from a collection of samples
If you wish to retrieve samples from an existing collection of samples within Region Skåne, you are required to have an approved biobank application. When retrieving the sample, you must have a signed agreement between the sample collection controller and Region Skåne’s biobank. You can get help with this by emailing CBE: RS136BD47 [at] skane [dot] se (RS136BD47[at]skane[dot]se)
More information on retrieving samples from CBE is available on Region Skåne’s website (in Swedish)
If a sample is to be sent for processing outside Region Skåne, such as at Lund University, a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) must be sent to RBC Syd for review and approval. When retrieving a sample, the signed approved MTA must be received by CBE before the sample can be sent.
You can find more information about MTAs on Biobank Sweden’s website (in Swedish)
National collection of samples
The sample service coordinators at CBE and Lund University are part of a national network within Biobank Sweden. They can provide help in coordinating the start of studies in which samples are to be collected in one or more locations in Sweden.
You can contact the sample service coordinators via CBE’s email address: RS136BD47 [at] skane [dot] se (RS136BD47[at]skane[dot]se)
Costs
Local and national price information for start-up, collection, management and storage of samples, is available on request from: RS136BD47 [at] skane [dot] se, and is also available on Region Skåne’s price list (PDF 137 kB, new tab, in Swedish).
Contact
Mats Johansson
Research Ethics Advisor/Research Integrity Officer
forskningsetik [at] lu [dot] se (forskningsetik[at]lu[dot]se)