UK Biobank recently visited the BRC to discuss proposals for a £25m high-throughput DNA storage, retrieval and testing centre.
The facility, named BioRepository South, has the potential to revolutionise how UCLH/UCL process and store DNA samples for research programmes. Millions of human samples, both legacy and future, will be stored in a secure facility which will also undertake next generation DNA sequencing of samples.
The innovative NIHR Biorepository South will relieve pressure on current storage facilities and enable much of this space to be reallocated for other purposes.In addition, the opening of this centre will change the focus of research expenditure from adequate room for samples towards better phenotyping, disease characterisation and bioinformatics.
UK Biobank will manage the facility; following on from the success of their Stockport facility which manages 15 million UK Biobank samples.
Premises of 50,000 square feet have been identified for the new centre in Milton Keynes.
Subject to approval by the Department of Health the facility will be “open for research studies” supported by NIHR and its funding partners by April 2014.
