Maze of three million test tubes
Some studies depend on biological material. To generate research data, researchers collect blood, urine, saliva, or other bodily fluids from as many participants as possible. They could try to store this material themselves, but problems can easily occur. This is where biobanks come in: specialised facilities that store and register biological material. A biobank is far more than a collection of freezers. Biobanks follow international guidelines to store material under specific conditions so it can be reused for different purposes and by several people. The staff specialise in supporting researchers throughout the process and know what protocols to follow in order to preserve the materials correctly.
Underneath MUMC+ lies a hidden maze of hallways that houses over three million tubes filled with biological material. This vast collection of biological samples is managed by the team of the Central Biobank MUMC+.Chiel de Theije, coordinator of the Central Biobank MUMC+ and department head of the central research facilities, takes pride in the central information system that the Biobank staff built, which can track each tube individually and provide easy access for researchers.
Chiel has been part of the UM community for 26 years. “I started as a molecular technician and conducted my PhD on models for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Afterwards, I became the coordinator of the Biobank and the central research facilities.” In practice, Chiel makes sure all of the central research departments run smoothly so the staff can focus on their work.
The pre-analytical phase
Every Biobank project begins with a research question. Chiel, along with the study manager, meets with each researcher who wants to store biological materials for future research. “To maintain sample integrity, processing and storage must be done according to international standards. Otherwise, there is a chance that the sample’s scientific value will decrease. We are ISO-certified and can advise on the correct temperature for storage for each study.” Chiel calls the activities of the Central Biobank MUMC+ the pre-analytical phase. “If this phase isn’t perfect, then the analytical phase will be impacted.”
At the moment, the Biobank stores 3.2 million test tubes in 130 freezers (−80°C) and 9 nitrogen tanks (−196°C).
550 studies
The Biobank celebrates its 25th birthday this year and has supported more than 550 different studies. At the moment, it stores 3.2 million test tubes in 130 freezers (−80°C) and 9 nitrogen tanks (−196°C). This entire collection is managed in the Biobank information system. “Researchers, such as those involved in the Maastricht Study, can access this system and consult what samples are stored, and we know the exact location of each tube.”
Biobank of the future
Storing so many tubes requires a lot of energy, therefore the Biobank is implementing freezers with lower energy consumption and increase storage capacity per freezer. “We try to raise awareness among researchers to clean up the materials they no longer need. That said, we are certainly not at full capacity. Every researcher is very welcome to contact us or to pop by and talk about their studies and how we could support them. Our door is always open.”
All seven university medical centres in the Netherlands have a biobank. To encourage cooperation, Chiel is part of a group that is working on a national catalogue of biological samples. “The more data you have as a researcher, the better you can tell whether the differences you discover are coincidental or not. A national catalogue can support this practice.”
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