Specimen Bank (BWH)

Please note that we do not provide solid tissues.

The test menu of the BWH Clinical Laboratories is available to investigators. The Specimen bank and Clinical Trials Unit in the BWH Clinical Labs also perform specialized testing for novel biomarkers.

• 24X7 operations for specimen handling and diagnostic testing.
• Clinical Trials Unit to handle high-volume clinical testing for NIH or pharma-sponsored trials.
• Download of clinical and research results in the Crimson application.

The central facility offers service for handling consented patient samples.

Dedicated staff and equipment can process materials to specific study or sponsor requirements.

Offshift and weekend processing available (coordinated with BWH Lab Control).

The following protocols are performed in the Specimen Bank.

• Serum Processing
• Plasma Processing
• Buffy Coats
• Microbial Isolates

Open repositories service
The Specimen Bank maintains a series of open repositories for use by Partners or HMS-affiliated investigators.

Fresh or fixed tissues, or paraffin-embedded sections are available.

Bank staff can assist with selection of samples for desired analyses, development of processing protocols, and preparation of derivatives.

Our group developed the Crimson Application. Partners investigators may request users accounts on this web-based application to manage their studies, samples and patients. IT Staff are also available to assist researchers with creation of queries for prospective sample collection or queries to select samples from specific cohorts.

Crimson application support serivice
The Crimson application was developed by the BWH Pathology department to facilitate support of research investigations at Partners-affiliated institutions.

Crimson fills a key gap in existing clinical and research systems by tapping into discarded sample streams within Pathology Departments to allow prospective collection of materials for designated research use or to develop retrospective repositories around specific diseases or organ systems.

• Prospective query and collection of samples under an IRB protocol.
• Management of patient consent status on collected materials.
• Ability to collect materials on cohorts of consented patient or queries forwarded from the RPDR (Research Patient Data Registry).
• Ability to receive and process samples submitted from consented patients.
• Management of downstream processing and testing of materials.
• Core application from which study users may download sample data and results.

Partners investigators and study staff may request a Crimson user account to help manage studies and collected materials.

Resources and expertise are available to help investigators evaluate markers with potential use as diagnostic tests.

Clinical isolates may be collected for investigators performing epidemiological studies, basic research into microbial pathogenesis and virulence, or studies of microbial resistance to antibiotics.

Requirements:

• Studies must have a COMS# (HMS Committee on Microbiological Safety) in place to receive materials.
• All requests are subject to review and approval by the microbiology laboratory director prior to the collection and release of materials.
• Requests for data to be associated with isolates, including antibiograms, sample of origin, or diagnosis codes must be included in the study's IRB protocol.
• If patient identifiers are to be included, then all patients must be consented for the study and registered in the Crimson system prior to release of isolates.

The following represent common types of isolates identified in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory:

• Aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacterial pathogens including Staphyloccoal, Streptococcal species, Escherichia coli, and other Gram-negative organisms.
• Toxigenic BL-2 level pathogens such as Shigella and clostridial species require approval by the microbiology lab and proof that the requesting investigator maintains appropriate facilities to store and handle such isolates.
• Microaerophilic organisms including Campylobacter species.
• Strict anaerobes such as Bacteroides and Prevotella
• Candida and other monomorphic yeasts.

** BL-3 materials including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and fungal isolates require review and approval of the request by the microbiology lab, and proof from investigators that they maintain appropriate facilities within the Longwood Medical Area for the storage and handling of such materials.

** Viral lysates from clinical cell cultures for CMV, HSV I and II, Adenovirus.
** Primary source materials (blood only) containing CMV, EBV, HIV or HCV. These materials are collected after completion of viral antigen or viral load studies.

*** Discarded blood from patients with malarial or babesial infection.

Prospective sample collection service.

Please note that we do not provide solid tissues.

Crimson queries against a rolling window of samples accessioned in the clinical laboratories (5000+/day at BWH). Investigators with IRB protocols approved to use Crimson for sample collection may define queries to locate materials of use. Request a quote for services.