Automated Sample Handling and Storage System for Northwestern University

描述（由申请人提供）： 当今生物医学和转化研究的许多方面都依赖于生物样品的可用性。适当的样本储存和有效检索这些样本的能力往往限制了这些基本生物样本的可用性。在西北大学，我们有许多研究项目，旨在将遗传变异与疾病，疾病易感性和治疗结果相关联。获取生物样本，特别是DNA，是所有这些研究的核心组成部分。目前，样本存储是分散的，效率低下。此外，样本检索是一个手动过程，容易出现人为错误。这项高端仪器拨款申请的目标是获得一个全面的自动化DNA样本存储和处理系统，这将改变西北大学的样本管理，大大加快遗传学研究企业的发展。如果获得资助，样本存储和处理系统将由NUgene工作人员作为研究核心设施向西北大学研究社区开放，同时提供本申请中列出的主要用户优先访问。这种自动化样品存储和处理系统的安装将成为西北大学推进临床和转化研究的一个有利因素。推进对遗传变异和疾病以及治疗结果的研究应该有助于个性化医疗方法的发展，人们普遍认为这是实现未来医疗保健的关键组成部分。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Many aspects of today's biomedical and translational research are dependent on the availability of biological samples. Appropriate sample storage and the ability to efficiently retrieve those samples often limit the availability of these essential biological samples. At Northwestern University we have many research projects that seek to correlate genetic variation with disease, disease susceptibility and therapeutic outcomes. Access to biological samples, particularly DNA, is a central component of all of these studies. Currently sample storage is decentralized and inefficient. In addition, sample retrieval is a manual process that is subject to human error. The goal of this High End Instrumentation grant application is to acquire a comprehensive automated DNA sample storage and handling system that will transform sample management at Northwestern, greatly accelerating the genetics research enterprise. If funded, the sample storage and handling system will be operated by the NUgene staff as a research core facility open to the Northwestern University research community-while providing the major users listed in this application priority access. The installation of this automated sample storage and handling system will be an enabling factor in advancing clinical and translational research at Northwestern University. Advancing studies of genetic variation and disease and therapeutic outcomes should contribute to the development of personalized medicine approaches that are widely believed to be a critical component for enabling the medical care of the future.