The BRD is a free and publicly accessible database that contains peer-reviewed primary and review articles as well as SOPs in the field of human Biospecimen Science.
Each literature curation has been created by a Ph.D.-level scientist to capture the following: (1) relevant parameters that include the biospecimen investigated (type and location, patient diagnosis), preservation method, analyte(s) of interest and technology platform(s) used for analysis; (2) the pre-analytical factors investigated, including those relating to pre-acquisition, acquisition, preservation, processing, storage, and analysis; and (3) an original summary of relevant results. Browse literature curations or submit specific queries using the Advanced Search page with keyword search for specific biomakers or genes, PubMed ID, or pre-analytical factor values (anticoagulant, fixative, reagent, etc).
SOPs are organized in a hierarchy system consisting of two tiers: (1) SOPs, established protocols; and (2) Biospecimen Evidence-based Practices (BEBP), procedural guidelines developed using literature evidence. SOP-tiered documents are a product of the Source organization specified. SOPs shared by external organizations are done so only with their consent, and have not been vetted by BBRB. SOP documents are searchable by keyword, or by curated fields (source organization, tier, applicable biospecimens, and topic) on the Search SOPs page. Related SOP documents are assembled in Compendiums, which are viewable on the SOP Compendiums page. You can also create your own Compendium and download SOPs together rather than individually.
We encourage you to submit SOPs from your lab or institution for inclusion in the BRD by clicking on the Submit an SOP tab or at biospecimens@mail.nih.gov. Individuals and organizations that suggest articles for inclusion in the BRD will receive acknowledgement on the paper's curation page. Articles may be submitted by clicking on the Suggest a New Paper tab or via the email above. Feedback is also welcome.
The BRD is an initiative of the NCI Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch (BBRB).
This study compared zinc levels of zinc between capillary and venous blood, plasma and serum, and specimens collected in tubes from Becton Dickinson (BD) and Sarstedt. Zinc levels were also compared in plasma/serum from blood stored at 4°C, 20°C or 37°C for 1 h followed by storage at 4°C for a total of 4 or 24 h. Zinc Levels were also compared between specimens from males and female volunteers. Non-fasting blood was collected between 10 am and noon from sixty healthy volunteers first by fingerstick (capillary blood) and then by venipuncture. The volunteers’ hands were pre-warmed in a water bath for 10-20 min before collection of capillary blood from standing volunteers. Capillary blood was collected by applying a high flow lancet to the thumb of the non-dominant hand and, when necessary, the third or fourth finger. The first drop was discarded and then pooling drops were collected into 1-4 BD Microtainer K2EDTA Plasma Blood Collection Tubes (BCT) followed by 1-4 Sarstedt Microvette K3EDTA Plasma BCT as volume allowed. Once all capillary blood tubes were collected, specimens were inverted 4-6 times and placed on wet ice. Venous blood was collected from the antecubital vein of the non-dominant arm using a Sarstedt Safety 21-guage Multifly Needle with a Multi-Adaptor into a Sarstedt Monovette serum BCT containing clot activator, a Sarstedt Monovette K2EDTA plasma BCT, eight BD Vacutainer serum BCTs with clot activator, and finally eight BD Vacutainer K2EDTA plasma BCTs; a few drops of blood were discarded between tube types. After blood collection, tubes were inverted 8-10 times and placed on wet ice and all specimens were transported to the lab (an average duration of 10-20 min following collection, all <60 min). To investigate the effects of storage, matched BD Vacutainer plasma and serum tubes were placed at 4°C, 20°C, and 37°C for 1 h, after which, all tubes were placed at 20°C and 37°C. After 4 and 24 h, one tube of each kind for each initial storage temperature? was analyzed. Plasma was separated from EDTA blood by centrifugation at 800 g for 15 minutes at 5°C immediately or after storage. Serum was separated by centrifugation at 800 g for 15 minutes at 5°C. Plasma and serum were centrifuged again at 4000 g for 5 min at 5°C and the supernatant transferred to polypropylene tubes and stored at -70°C until analysis. Specimens were thawed at room temperature and the degree of hemolysis was quantified using Drabkin’s assay. Zinc levels were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.
Technology Platform | Analyte | Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry | Electrolyte/Metal |
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In February, the CDC's SOP on the "Collection and Transport of Clinical Specimens" was downloaded 814 times, the most of any SOP in the BRD's Library.
In January, the UCHC Tissue Repository's SOP on "Biospecimen Handling" was downloaded 452 times, more than any other SOP that month.
View the most downloaded SOPs from the BRD's SOP Library in 2023 by clicking below.