From clinical sites to biorepositories: effectiveness in blood sample management

Today's biobanks must work to take full advantage of collected samples, while maximizing sample quality and minimizing costs to sustain operations for a long period of time. This is a tall order that will require collaboration and compromise for both end-users and collection sites. This article discusses the efforts of the Génome Québec-Centre Hospitalier Affilié Universitaire Régional de Chicoutimi Biobank to fractionate blood samples for the simultaneous preservation of plasma and DNA-containing layers while minimizing resources required for shipping and transport. This article also describes methods for successful reproducible application of the plasma-depleted blood sample to GenPlates (GenVault, Carlsbad, CA).