The Biospecimen Research Database
Welcome to the Biospecimen Research Database (BRD)!
Article Curations on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2
SOPs on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2
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).
Featured Paper
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The purpose of this study was to compare levels of mtDNA and nDNA in specimens collected in PAXgene versus K3EDTA tubes, in blood versus plasma, in blood stored for six days at room temperature versus -20°C, after isolation using two different kits, in specimens from cancer patients versus healthy volunteers, and in archival specimens stored at -80°C and those prospectively collected in the present study. Blood was collected from ten healthy volunteers and ten pancreatic cancer patients into K3EDTA and PAXgene Blood DNA tubes. Unless otherwise specified, blood was stored for 2 h at room temperature after which one tube of each type was centrifuged at 1600 g for 10 min at room temperature followed by 2800 g for 15 min to obtain plasma. Whole blood and plasma were aliquoted into LoBind tubes and stored at -20°C. Unless otherwise specified, DNA was isolated from blood and plasma using the Wizard Plus SV Miniprep DNA purification Kit and the Promega Maxwell instrument. mtDNA and nDNA were quantified by real-time amplification of TL1 and β-globin, respectively. DNA fragment size was analyzed using the Bioanalyzer DNA 1000 Kit and DNA was quantified using the Qubit dsDNA HS Assay. To investigate possible storage effects, case-matched whole blood was stored at room temperature and -20°C for 6 days in each tube type. To investigate the effect of extraction method, DNA was also extracted from plasma and blood using the QIAprep Kit. To investigate potential effects of long-term specimen storage, levels of mtDNA and nDNA were compared between prospectively collected specimens from pancreatic cancer patients and 10 archived blood specimens collected from pancreatic cancer patients (from two prior studies) that were stored at -80°C for approximately 8 years.
Biospecimens
- Fluid - Plasma
- Fluid - Blood
Platform:
Technology Platform Analyte Real-time qPCR DNA
News and Announcements
The Most Downloaded SOPs in 2022
The top 5 most downloaded SOPs from the BRD's SOP Library were
- Tissue Processing (UCHC Tissue Repository)
- Labeling (NIEHS)
- Vaginal Swab Collection (GAPPS Repository)
- Cell Viability Testing with Trypan Blue Exclusion Method (NIEHS)
- RNA Isolation (CC GMI)
New Findings from NCI's BPV Program have been Published
A new study from NCI's Biospecimen Pre-analytical Variables (BPV) Program is now available that reports effects on aCGH results in FFPE RCC specimens after a delay to fixation ≥3 h or a fixation time of 72 h.
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