CHAIN Biobank

The Comprehensive Health Biobank (CHAIN Biobank) is a collaborative initiative led by the Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) and the Nova Medical School of Universidade Nova de Lisboa.


Mission:

  • serve as a tool to support biomedical research.
  • serve as a bank of biological samples and clinical data of the donors.
  • contribute to the development and promotion of new research projects by promoting collaboration between several clinical and/or research centers.
  • promote the reuse of biological samples and clinical data.

 

Main objectives: 

  • Support researchers in the development of SOPs, experimental design, sample processing and analysis.
  • Sample storage, maintaining an optimized Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure the highest quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) of samples and treatment processes.
  • Guarantee the confidentiality and protection of donor data and samples.
  • Conduct activities in accordance with national and international legal and ethical guidelines.
  • Make the collections known to the scientific and medical community and provide national and international collaborations.

We follow the best technical practices and legal and ethical guidelines for the development of internal regulations and standardized operating procedures:

  • Best Practice for Repositories ISBER 2018;
  • OECD: Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres;
  • ISO 9001 quality certification;
  • ISO 20387:2018 Biotechnology: Biobanking, General requirements for biobanking
  • Law n.º 58/2019, de 08 de Agosto, Personal data protection;
  • Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of April 27 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation);
  • Law nº 12/2005,  Personal genetic information and health information.

CHAIN is equipped with all the equipment necessary to maintain quality: storage facilities, pre-analytical processing tools, data recording and information sharing.

  • Equipment
    • Freezer -80ºC
    • Back-up -80ºC Freezer
    • Quick freezing unit (container for transporting liquid nitrogen)
    • BSL-2 biosafety room
    • LIMS software – LabCollector – for managing samples and clinical data

No fees are applied for the costs associated with maintaining equipment or personnel at CHAIN Biobank. However, there are costs associated with the services.

Researchers at NOVA Medical School and the Comprehensive Health Research Center are exempt from paying storage and request fees during the first two years (2023 and 2024), after which agreements will be reviewed individually.

  • Services

In addition to the services provided, CHAIN users can request any of the other services available at NOVA Medical School's scientific infrastructures here, as well as transportation and/or collection services, with prices available on request.

CHAIN Biobank reserves the right to change the above-mentioned pricing policy at any time.
  • Deposit

 

Documents:

 

  • Request

 

Documents:

 

When depositing samples, the IR/depositor can choose between three levels of access to the deposited samples:

See the regulations here.

Scientific Coordinator

Ana Rodrigues
EpiDoc Coordinator, MD, PhD

Facility Manager

Maria Assunção
Technical Coordinator of the CHAIN biobank, NOVA Medical School