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Haris Choudhery

Managing success: How sample management can make or break a business

June 8, 2022 by Haris Choudhery

It goes without saying that executing accurate and reproducible scientific research is at the heart of any successful research group or biotech. However, as research progresses so inevitably does the number of cell/tissue samples increase from a manageable level to thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of samples. At a certain point a limit is reached whereby the number of samples that must be stored or managed simultaneously becomes too much to handle internally. Having an endless sea of cells in a spreadsheet, or worse, multiple spreadsheets that are each updated without proper cross-communication, could easily lead to samples being misplaced. How academic groups and businesses manage their ever-increasing numbers of samples from various studies invariably becomes a hurdle to overcome for their continued success.

Why rigorous sample management matters

When academic groups and scaling biotech companies grow, the obvious hurdle that they must overcome is how to scale their sample management appropriately. This means at a certain point in time, it is no longer feasible for them to rely on one or more scientists to spend ever increasing amounts of time barcoding, labeling and digitally storing the information on a spreadsheet. What if the spreadsheet isn’t updated correctly? What if the file becomes corrupted and information is lost? These are frighteningly common situations that could spell disaster as precious samples that cannot be replaced become unidentifiable forever.

Not only is there an increasing amount of time dedicated to correctly labelling, sorting and storing samples, the time and resources dedicated to sample processing also increases greatly too. For example, blood samples would need to be fractionated into constituent components, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells, plasma or serum and red blood cells. Each fraction would then have to be cryopreserved under controlled conditions and stored. Likewise, for DNA and RNA samples extracted from tissues (e.g., blood) concentration, purity and identity must be determined prior to storage. These bioprocessing steps require more time and resources as the number of samples increases.

These are just a few reasons many companies and research groups turn to Sampled to manage and store samples on their behalf. Sampled utilizes LIMS software to ensure that each time a sample is handled, analyzed or stored, the sample is scanned via its barcode and the activity is logged. Tracking the chain of custody from the moment a sample is picked up from a client’s lab to the moment it is stored in a freezer ensures full transparency and great precision in real time.

Navigating the maze of shipping samples

It is well known that sample handling errors almost always occur in the field, this can be because a phlebotomist has mislabeled a blood sample, for example. It is therefore necessary to have the staff and resources to be able to understand how these errors occur as well as what the regulatory and customs agencies of various countries require for efficient shipping. Most scaling businesses simply cannot dedicate the required staff or time to deal with these inevitable hiccups which is where Sampled can help. Since we have trained staff on hand, we take care of all shipping and handling to remove the headache of paperwork from businesses so they can focus on what they do best. Our staff prepare customized kits for clients so that they simply fill the pre-barcoded sample vessels and ship them in the appropriate cryovessel we provide. Using our LIMS system, we can ensure that the correct samples arrive at the right place at the right time. At each stage the samples are scanned to ensure a clear chain of custody which is crucial for certain clients such as those looking to capture this data for clinical trials.

In short, Sampled can make a real impact by correctly managing and even storing client’s samples using properly trained staff and LIMS software. In doing so, researchers focus on the important research that matters, instead of tracking down lost samples or wasting time on the phone talking to customs agents.

If you would like to contact one of our experts about how Sampled provide sample management solutions that are tailor-made to your research, click here

Filed Under: Services, Uncategorized Tagged With: Biological sample storage solutions

Autism Acceptance Month

April 14, 2022 by Haris Choudhery

April is Autism Acceptance Month, starting with Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. On March 4, 2021, The Autism Society of America made an important verbiage change – what was once Autism Awareness Month is now officially known as Autism Acceptance Month.

Autism is one of the leading developmental disabilities in the world, affecting 1 in 44 people, and if diagnosed by age 4, children are 50 times more likely to receive services and care that they need. As it is a spectrum disorder with many varying behaviors and symptoms, the care needed is unique to the individual’s needs. This is why Autism awareness, and most importantly acceptance, is so important – those with autism are able to lead full and rich lives with their diagnoses. The Autism Society strives “to create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully,” and has been for 57 years. This is their 4th year in a row promoting the #CelebrateDifferences campaign, aiming to inform, educate, and connect those in need with the appropriate resources to live a full life. The Autism Society of America website is a wealth of resources, so if you’re looking to get involved, donate, or promote Autism Acceptance within your own community, they are a great place to start: autismsociety.org/autism-acceptance-month.

Key Autism Stats

  • Defined as “Spectrum Condition” as it has a certain set of behaviors that affect different individuals to varying degrees
  • Affects 1 in 44 children in the US according to CDC studies
  • Can be diagnosed as early as age 2, most are diagnosed after age 4
  • ⅓ of autistic children also have an intellectual disability
  • 31% of children with autism have an intellectual disability, 25% are in the borderline range, 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range 
  • Affects all people, across ethnic and socioeconomic groups, though minorities tend to be diagnosed later and less often
  • 40% of people with autism are nonverbal
  • Nearly half “wander” or “bolt from safety”
  • Nearly 28% have self-injurious behaviors – headbanging, arm biting, skin scratching
  • Boys are 4 times as likely to develop autism as girls their age. Recent research suggests girls show signs of autism differently than boys, possibly leading to a lower rate of diagnosis.
  • Children who are diagnosed with autism by age 4 are 50x more likely to receive services
  • No known cure, but treatments are available to reduce symptoms
  • “Autism” derives from the Greek word “autos” meaning self – “Autism” is defined as “alone”
  • Research indicates genetics are involved in the majority of autism cases
Forwards, Faster.

Sampled working with key Autism organizations

Here at Sampled, we are immensely proud to be able to support two of the leading research centres that investigate the genetic causes of autism. Sampled initially began working with Autism Speaks in 1998 and then began working with The Simons Foundation in 2007 and have since maintained close ties with both groups.

The Simons Foundation established the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) with a mission to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance. With Sampled’s labs, the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) was developed as the gold standard of collecting and safely storing thousands of DNA samples associated with detailed phenotypic data from parents and children. In an effort that continues to this day, this collection of samples has enabled researchers to identify a number of genes that have the potential to yield valuable insights into the causes of and potential therapies for autism.

By working closely with Autism Speaks, Sampled was able to participate in the launch of the Autism Genetic Research Exchange (AGRE). AGRE is an collection of DNA samples processed by Sampled that have been sequenced and analyzed by researchers around the world. It is the largest private, open-access repository of clinical and genetic information dedicated to help autism research. Research on the samples in these two collections resulted in the publication of hundreds of papers advancing our understanding of the genetic components in autism and related behavioural disorders.

If you are interested in the work we do in Autism or other developmental disabilities, reach out to a member of our team today here.

Autism Society:

  • https://autismsociety.org/national-statement-autism-society-addresses-increased-autism-prevalence-rates-in-2021-cdc-report/
  • https://autismsociety.org/

-National Today:

  • https://nationaltoday.com/autism-awareness-month/

-Autism Speaks:

  • https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-statistics-asd

-AGRE:

  • https://www.autismspeaks.org/about-agre

-Simons Foundation:

  • https://www.sfari.org/about/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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  • New York State Tissue Bank Certification June 23, 2022
  • Managing success: How sample management can make or break a business June 8, 2022

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