Integrated Biobanking Shared Resource

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: INTEGRATED BIOBANKING SHARED RESOURCE (IBSR) The Integrated Biobanking Shared Resource (IBSR) of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC) fulfills the academic needs of Cancer Center investigators by providing access to biospecimens through coordinated general and targeted biospecimen acquisition from DLDCCC-affiliated clinics and by providing relevant expertise and technical resources to enhance basic, translational and clinical cancer biospecimen-based research activities. The IBSR personnel have extensive experience in pathology, epidemiology, biospecimen acquisition and processing, biobank maintenance, and sample distribution. In addition, personnel are trained in the various technical services offered including peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparation, DNA extraction, routine histology services, frozen sections, tissue microarray construction, immunohistochemistry, tissue microarray scanning, multiplex image analysis, and spatial transcriptomics. We also provide pathology consultation by expert pathologists for both human tissue specimens and mouse models, as well as risk factor questionnaire development and collection. Access to such resources is critical for biospecimen-based cancer investigation, and DLDCCC investigators have made significant advancements in cancer research by utilizing the specimens, data, and services offered through the IBSR. The IBSR continually evolves to add technology and services to meet the changing needs of Cancer Center. For example, through the DLDCCC, the IBSR has expanded collaborations with other Shared Resources to streamline spatial and other multi-omics studies that require cancer biospecimens. We also collaborate extensively with the Quantitative Sciences Shared Resource to maintain and advertise our biospecimen inventory to interested researchers in the DLDCCC and to support our clinical annotation and risk factor database. Finally, the IBSR is heavily involved in educational outreach by providing didactic instruction on biospecimen science in the Practical Skills in Translational Research Workshops 1 course in the BCM Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and by leading workshops and seminars for trainees, staff, and faculty on important topics in biospecimen research, such as the effects of pre-analytic variability on study results. Leaders of IBSR also patriciate in numerous educational programs that provide hands-on research opportunities for under-represented students and trainees, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Training (SMART) program.