A Quantitative Tool for Culling Collections of Human Specimens; Proof of Concept

Biobanks of specimens of human origin have accumulated millions of specimens. Their storage is costly, while many of them may not be useful and should be culled.

Our objective was to develop, pilot test, and evaluate a quantitative culling tool.

We developed a culling tool based on a series of parameters with a quantitative score attributed to each. The parameters of the culling tool correspond to different aspects of the value of collections, such as the richness of the associated data, the types of samples, their conservation mode, and regulatory constraints.

The culling tool was adapted and independently applied by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and the Biological Resource Center of Institut Pasteur biobanks. The cumulative final score supported evidence-based and standardized decision-making. A "diagnostic" threshold could be established for the "diagnosis" of collections of low value.

The culling tool is an algorithm developed to assess the value of legacy collections of biological resources of human origin and help establish culling plans. Biobanks can use this culling tool when they periodically assess the value of stored collections and need to decide or advise to cull them, and also when deciding whether to accept requests to host new collections previously stored elsewhere.