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Repository QA

RNA/DNA Integrity Assurance

GAPPS Repository Research Seeks “Gold Standard” of Specimen Quality

“Our goal is to provide specimens to the research community in their ‘native’ biological state so that research observations are not filtered through repository-induced artifacts, but truly reflect the conditions at the time of collection.” – Donald Chaffin, lab operations manager, GAPPS Repository
A research project initiated by GAPPS Repository lab scientists scrutinizes each step in the sample collection and storage process in order to build and maintain the highest quality specimen bank. The importance of GAPPS RNA/DNA Integrity Assurance project was highlighted recently by the National Cancer Institute, which reported that the majority of stored specimens in cancer research repositories around the world are unsuitable for analysis by modern techniques due to improper collection, preparation or storage methods.

A solid quality assurance infrastructure lays the foundation for quality research projects, and cutting-edge research technologies require the highest quality starting material. RNA, notoriously vulnerable to degradation, plays an integral role in the field of prematurity and stillbirth research. RNA records the ever-changing “story” of a cell, so when it is extracted from placental tissue, it’s vital that the tissue be handled in a manner that assures that the cell’s story is not altered by delays or laboratory processing. Quality RNA allows researchers to study biomarkers and other indicators closely representing the actual time of birth, so they can begin to identify possible causes for adverse outcomes.

These considerations are part of GAPPS RNA/DNA Integrity Assurance project, which focuses on every step of the process to achieve the highest quality biospecimens. The goal is to develop standard operating procedures for:

• Specimen processing timeframes for the highest RNA/DNA integrity
• Specimen processing methods
• Ideal storage conditions for specimen quality and longevity
• Ongoing monitoring of stored specimen quality

Project findings will guide specimen collection and preparation at all GAPPS Repository Collection Network sites, and will be incorporated into standardization procedures in global harmonization efforts.