Research biobanks must be established if the intention is to store human biological material for research. An indicative limit for the establishment of a research biobank is storage beyond 2 months, i.e. if the biological material will be destroyed immediately after analysis there is no need to create a research biobank.
Biological material, often collected over several years, is irreplaceable and forms an important foundation for many research groups. The choices you make for storage should therefore be well thought out, so that the material can come to its best. What should you consider?
Biological material degrades over time. In order to preserve material for future research, it must be stored in a way that slows down this process. The most effective way to do this is to freeze and store at low temperatures. The lower the temperature, the better. It is often said that it cannot be too cold when storing biological material, but storage at very low temperatures is expensive.
Is it best to use a cabinet freezer or a chest freezer? A cabinet freezer has an opening in the front and takes up considerably less floor space than a chest freezer. This means that more samples can be stored per square meter than when using chest freezers. Cabinet freezers normally have active cooling surfaces in the three vertical walls, as well as in the ceiling and bottom, but passive insulation in the door. Chest freezers have a top opening and normally active cooling surface in the upper 2/3 of all four sidewalls, and passive insulation in the bottom and lid.
OUS has entered into a framework agreement for the purchase of normal freezers, ultra-freezers and cryo-freezers as well as racks for the various freezers. Nitrogen tanks are not included in this agreement. Work is also underway to put in place a framework agreement for service on ultra-freezers, which will be in place by mid-summer 2020.
It is important to think about safety when buying a freezer. If you are unable to store your freezer in OUS' approved storage facilities (see below), it is important to make sure that the freezer is connected to a hospital monitoring facility (SD system). It is important to have a procedure in place for adequate personnel to be notified of non-conformities and for actions to be implemented before the material is lost. In accordance with best practice, one should have empty, operational backup freezers available in case of freezer breakdown. It is possible to enter into an agreement with the Department for Biobank and Register Support for temporary use of backup freezes in the event of a breakdown.
OUS has storage facilities at Aker, Ullevål and Rikshospitalet and regional services at Myrens Verksted. These rooms have access control and the ultra- freezers are connected to the alarm system. The premises also have back-up freezers. These storage facilities are currently filled to capacity.
Based on current and future area requirements, the establishment of new storage areas with automated -80 ° C storage facilities and automatic nitrogen filling facilities is recommended in the Radium Hospital area, Gaustad and Aker, and coordinated with planned construction processes. Funds have been applied through Biobank Norge 3 for the establishment of a first robotic warehouse at Gaustad.
Each person who is to transport samples is responsible for this being done properly and legally. Internally in OUS, larger sample collections can be coordinated with transport Rent og ryddig (ROR - Clean and tidy) between, for example, Myrens and the hospital. There are 4 transport boxes available at Myrens which can carry up to 9 racks per box, i.e. a total of 36 racks which will usually constitute the contents of a whole freezer. Such transport must be agreed in advance with ROR. Since there is some logistics related to moving, one must move at least one whole transport box (min. 9 racks) per assignment. Access to the biobank premises at Myrens Verksted is provided by personal access cards, which must be ordered through the Department of Biobankand Registry Support. Transport and access to the biobank premises is only possible within normal working hours.
Oslo University Hospital has an agreement with DHL Express (Norway) AS for the shipment of goods (domestic and abroad) where there is no requirement that what is being shipped must keep a constant temperature.
World Courier (Norway) AS must be used when shipping goods (domestically and abroad) where there is a requirement that the freight must be kept at a constant temperature.
Only these two suppliers are to be used for air cargo.
For more information, see OUS intranet for air freight.
A sustainable biobank contains high-quality samples that meet volume, type, and availability targets. This will allow the biobank to be used optimally.
