Case studies: Biobanking
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research Adopt Matrix Biobank
Solution: LIMS
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Matrix Gemini Biobank Manager LIMS was selected by The Garvan Institute of Medical Research after considering many of the available Biobank LIMS on the market. Matrix allows all staff to log and track their sample data across a diverse range of projects.
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is a flagship research centre. Research focuses on the use of cellular genomics to understand how diseases originate or act at a cellular level. The Garvan Institute houses a cellular genomics facility, which provides cutting edge services for researchers and industry partners. The team develops new technologies to solve critical problems and runs research programs that focus on both fundamental and translational cellular genomics. The Garvan Institute is one of the few global sites where state-of-the-art technologies are seamlessly integrated, including the latest platforms in flow cytometry, microfluidics, genomics, high-performance computing, and bioinformatics. The Garvan Institute is located in Darlinghurst, Sydney
and is affiliated with St Vincent’s Hospital and The University of New South Wales Sydney.
CHALLENGES
- Disparate systems, growing rapidly
SOLUTION
RESULTS
- Biobank stores a wide variety of tissue types
- Streamlined system covers all aspects of the workflow
- Data from the different research groups is kept separate
- Accessible either in-house or remotely
"One of the reasons that we went with Matrix is because the sample registration process is so straightforward."
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Staff in the clinical biobanking team collect tissue and/or blood samples (generally cancer related) from patients who are either due for surgery or treatment. They are processed into plasma, buffy coat, PBMC (peripheral blood mononuclear cells), tissue slow frozen in DMSO, cryopreserved or embedded tissue and histology slides. Tissue dissociations are performed if required,
and the samples are run on 10x Genomics platforms. In addition to the clinical biobank, the institute bank a number of induced pluripotent stem cell lines which are used across multiple collaborations. The samples are stored appropriately and logged in to Matrix Gemini Biobank Manager, for use on current or future projects.
