Sample Management


P


reserving the quality of stored samples is of fundamental importance in compound man- agement stores and biorepositories. In recent years the significance of maintaining sample integrity has become a major consideration, not least because it has the potential to impact most downstream applications. Variability, a precursor to poor sample integrity, can be introduced at any stage of the storage process, whether it be during sample collection, shipping, extraction, dissolu- tion, aliquoting, cryopreservation or the long-term storage itself. Therefore, the goal must be to pre- serve integrity at every step of the workflow and ensure samples make it from the patient to reposi- tory to analysis, or from compound synthesis to liquid solution to assay, in the most consistent way that is fully documented.


Other contributing factors to poor sample integrity include degradation, sample instability and hydration, often arising from freeze-thaw cycling. These have largely been addressed by freezing multiple single-use aliquots in mini-tubes, although the ability to extract an aliquot from a frozen parent sample or tissue without freeze- thawing is advantageous in some circumstances. Ensuring reliable sample information, tracking and security is particularly challenging with stor- age at low temperatures (-80˚C and below). Gone are the days where human readable written labels and data recorded in an Excel spreadsheet are suf- ficient, except for the most basic inventory requirements with a very limited number of stored samples. Linear and 2D barcodes have undoubt- edly improved identification (ID) and storage tracking although they are subject to ‘line of sight’ issues caused by frost, ice, condensation or fog build-up on the scanning platform, the permanen- cy of some attached codes or labels cannot be guaranteed and are subject to the occasional bar- code flaw. These issues have led to a new genera- tion of smarter tags (some based on radio frequen- cy identification (RFID), electronic micro transponders and micro-electro-mechanical sys- tem (MEMS)


technologies) which provide a


robust indelible ID code for unbroken chain of custody, that are resistant to various methods of sterilisation (eg gamma radiation and autoclaving) and capable of withstanding and operating at ultra-low cryogenic (-196°C) temperatures. Tags can be attached to an individual sample or to the sample transport container, and some tags (eg MEMS-ID) even enable the temperature to be mea- sured, time-stamped and recorded with the sample ID at the point of storage. This allows the tempera- ture and ID history to be tracked over the sample


Drug Discovery World Summer 2017


Figure 1: Main applications or intended uses of stored samples of respondents surveyed


Translational research Drug discovery


Genomic research


Disease-based biobanking Clinical diagnostics Sequencing Clinical trials


Compound management Drug development Epigenetics


Molecular diagnostics Pathology


Agrochemical research Commercial (eg life


science vendor) Stem cell-related Population-based


biobanking 12% 10%


Veterinary research Human identification


(forensics) 4% © HTStec 2016


0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% % Responding


6% 6%


22%


27% 27%


25% 25%


35% 35%


31% 31%


29%


Biomarker research and screening


41% 41%


55% 47%


Figure 2: How respondents track their samples today to ensure reliable information, location and quality


Human readable printed labels


Enter data into Excel or Access type of database


Scanning linear 1D barcodes Scanning 2D barcodes


Handwritten into inventory ledgers for all transactions


Handwritten notes on printed writing panels


Radio frequency identification (RFID) Other


Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS Smart Chips)


Micro-transponder ID (p-chip technology)


© HTStec 2016


2% 2%


0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% % Responding 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 8% 6% 20% 25% 43% 39% 53% 51%


Figure 3: How respondents verify the quality of their stored samples today


Incoming quality audit performed prior to sample storage


Quality audit is performed when sample is requested from the store


Samples cores are removed during storage and QA is run on these cores


Automated vision system checks sample ID and volume of sample


Acoustic survey measures volume and sample concentration prior to use


Other


Pooling of all samples to acquire a common titre or concentration


8%


0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% % Using verification approach


© HTStec 2016 10% 12% 16% 14% 59% 57%


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