Sample Management


New approaches to sample identification tracking and technologies for maintaining the quality of stored samples


By Dr John Comley


Safeguarding the quality of stored samples (both compounds and biospecimens) must be the driving ethos in compound management stores and biorepositories. Yet there are few innovations in available sample storage technologies that can help them easily identify poor sample quality or monitor sample degradation and so minimise erroneous downstream analytical results. Recent advances in sample ID and tracking undoubtedly give much greater confidence upholding an unbroken chain of custody. New storage tube configurations will contribute to enhanced screening efficiencies and greater reliability and advanced data management systems can improve overall sample intelligence. However, none of these technologies give reassurance that the stored samples are actually fit for their intended purpose. A MEMS-based sensor chip incorporated into storage tubes or vials that can monitor temperature and ID tracking over the sample lifecycle has the potential to stratify samples into fit-for-purpose categories based on their previous temperature exposure history. However, tracking sample temperature by itself will not improve on the quality of samples that were of intrinsically poor quality at the outset, and will only enhance the integrity among stored samples if there is willingness to act upon the results of ‘outside set range’ temperature sensing. What the industry is lacking are simple and fast QC/QA verification tests that can confirm a sample is what is supposed be or if it has suffered degradation. Until such tests become routine, storage facilities and end-users of stored samples need to do all they can to try to avoid processing variables which have the potential to impact sample integrity.


30


Drug Discovery World Summer 2017


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