For Companies

Direct contact with the source biobank is an essential part of Biosample Hub. The resulting close communication brings many benefits. Most important, it allows for complete provenance data on human biospecimens. It also provides access to scientific and clinical expertise. Also, it brings access to services like tissue sectioning and staining. Furthermore, companies and biobanks must be in direct contact to follow EU regulations on IVD medical devices.

All the biobanks on our network want to provide human biospecimens for industry research. There are two reasons for this high level of interest. Firstly, providing samples to industry is the platform’s sole purpose. Secondly, Biosample Hub membership is voluntary.

Over 75% of the biobanks on our platform will provide prospective collections. With a prospective collection, samples can be collected according to your specific requirements.  Prospective collection is always necessary, if you require fresh and viable tissue samples.

This platform has many innovative features to facilitate connection with suitable biobanks. Furthermore, there is continuing development of the platform to improve its performance. For details, see the Platform Page.

A not-for-profit company runs the platform and it has no shareholders. So, we reinvest any financial surpluses into the company. Any transactions between the company and the biobank take place independently of the platform. Furthermore, Biosample Hub does not charge any commission.

There is no contract with Biosample Hub. So there is no hassle and no contractual restrictions.

Biosample Hub organises online conferences and other events. Some are public, others are members-only. Members attend all these events free of charge.

The biospecimens most often requested are solid tissue and blood. Solid tissue may be normal or diseased, including tumour samples. It may be frozen or formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE). Requesters need fresh solid tissue for cell culture. Also, whole blood is a common request, or fractions like the buffy coat, serum or plasma. Furthermore, many other sample types are available, like CSF, sputum, urine, faeces, etc. In summary, a vast range of human biospecimens is available to meet your research needs.

The biobanks on our platform offer a wide variety of services. These may include extracting DNA, RNA or protein. They may also provide tissue sectioning, immunohistochemistry, quality control, cell culture, customized assays, and many other services.

A prospective collection involves the ongoing and future accrual of human biospecimens for research. This approach is necessary if the requester requires a specific collection protocol. It is also essential for the collection of fresh samples. Most biobanks on our platform will offer a prospective collection.

The amount of clinical information provided varies from one biobank to another.

One thing that is universal for all biobanks on this platform is that you will know the identity of the biobank. So if you need to access further clinical information on your samples, you can go direct to the source.

All biobanks will charge a fee for biospecimens and prices vary between biobanks. The fees depend on many factors, including the cost of staffing in different countries. As the requester, you pay this fee direct to the biobank. Moreover, Biosample Hub does not charge any transaction fee.

If you can’t find the biospecimens you need in our directories, then you need to submit a request on the platform. Request submission is very straightforward. On receipt, we send your request to suitable biobank members. We also display it in the Request Directory. If you do not find biospecimens this way, then you need to inform us. We will then search our more extensive network outside the platform. Then we recommend biobanks for you to contact.

To join, you need to complete the application form, then pay the annual subscription.

No, there is no contract to sign with Biosample Hub. All you need to do is observe the terms and conditions on the website.

To access clinical samples, you sign a material transfer agreement with the biobank.

Displaying brief information about your company is helpful to biobanks. Moreover, biobanks that read about your company, may contact you to discuss collaboration. Even so, it is not essential to share any information about your company on the platform. If you prefer, you can remain incognito. In this case, our administration will handle requests on your behalf.

Consultancy services are provided through a separate company: Biosample Management Ltd