UIC Biorepository Core builds connections to advance scientific discoveries
UIC’s Biorepository Core builds connections to advance scientific discoveries
To make scientific advancements in translational medicine, researchers need to have access to human tissue samples. The UIC Biorepository Core (BIOR) provides a platform and consultation service for researchers to access human specimens to support their studies and further develop translational applications of their discoveries.
“It’s very good for translational studies,” said Yue Huang, PhD, director of the BIOR. “The resources we provide to the research community are critical for the molecular studies and state-of-the-art imaging analysis that helps design novel disease biomarkers.”
The BIOR offers services to researchers from all disciplines at UIC, including engineering, pharmacy and medicine. Researchers can access both diseased and benign archival tissue samples, as well as fresh neoplastic or non-neoplastic tissues. For researchers who need to store their samples, the BIOR offers a centralized, secure, 24/7-monitored freezer farm.
In addition to the services provided, the BIOR is prepared to connect researchers with experts from UIC’s Department of Pathology who can guide them in their research endeavors.
“We are opening a portal for researchers to access this bank of expert pathologists that can serve as critical members of research teams,” said Carlos Murga-Zamalloa, MD, faculty advisor for the BIOR. “I think this is a great opportunity for everyone.”
The BIOR is co-managed by UIC’s Research Resources Center, a division of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research that offers research faculty, staff and students an inventory of high-end scientific equipment and a wide range of services—and the Department of Pathology. The BIOR also collaborates with the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects and the UI Cancer Center’s clinical trials office to ensure investigators have access to the research tools they need while following the requirements and considerations for research subject protection.
“We consult with them, project by project,” said Murga-Zamalloa. “They work together with us when projects come up and we need assistance processing and ensuring the investigator is able to have their problems solved.”
To get in touch with the BIOR, researchers can visit their new website or submit a request via iLab. The staff are prepared to meet with researchers and collaborators to ensure their needs are met and to provide tissue samples quickly and efficiently.
“The biorepository aims to establish network connections between researchers and clinical teams,” said Huang. “We are a multidisciplinary team, and I think that’s fundamental for attaining the goals of the BIOR.”