University of Birmingham - Human Biomaterials Resource Centre - Tissue Bank
The Human Biomaterials Resource Centre (HBRC) is a Human Tissue Authority licensed human sample biorepository operated by the University of Birmingham which is dedicated to the collection and storage of appropriately consented, quality assured biomaterials for distribution to biomedical research groups both in academia and industry. The HBRC aims to provide a gold-standard service trusted by both donors and researchers.
The HBRC has been in operation since 2010 and resides within a purpose-built building originally funded through the regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands Science City Translational Medicine Programme, and with investment from University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Birmingham and the Medical Research Council.
It not only offers a fresh tissue service but also provides a research histology service and a limited storage service. It has the capacity to store 38,000 samples at -196°C and 270,000 samples at -80°C. Storage is monitored every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As of March 2022, the HBRC has tracked over 450,000 samples from more than 27,000 donors, helping over 400 studies.
The HBRC has a governance structure which comprises of The Human Tissue Oversight Committee, The Access Review Panel and an Operational/Quality Management Team. The Human Tissue Oversight Committee overseas governance and provides ethical, scientific and operational direction to the HBRC whilst The Access Review Panel ensures requests for samples and data are from reputable sources for use in ethical, scientifically valid research. The Access Review Panel also includes an NHS Research Ethics Committee member and two lay members, as well as Research & Development members.
There is also an Operational/Quality Management Team who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the HBRC. The HBRC is a member of the Birmingham Health Partnership Research & Development Governance Committee.
The HBRC facilitates sample collection in line with local and national research strategies. The facility also conducts bespoke tissue collections in areas where there is a specific research need.
Currently, the facility collects and supplies fresh tissue, fresh-frozen tissue, formalin-fixed tissue and paraffin-embedded sections as well as fresh blood, urine and other bodily fluids. These materials are derived from patients in a wide variety of disease settings and may comprise tissue that is surplus to diagnosis taken at the time of surgery or treatment, waste material, limited additional samples taken for research purposes, material taken from patients taking part in clinical trials, control material (including healthy volunteers) material from deceased donations and material from archived diagnostic blocks.
Sample & Associated Data Access
Researchers apply to set up bespoke collections, or to access samples already stored, by completing an application form which is reviewed by the HBRC Access Review Panel.
Once an application is approved, the researcher signs an agreement which governs the use of the material following release from the HBRC.
How You Can Donate
The IBC Network UK funds research that uses IBC diagnostic tissue.
IBC tissue samples are always required, so please contact us at info@ibcnetworkuk.org for more information and details on how to donate your own tissue sample.
On behalf of The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK and its members, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Gareth Bicknell, HBR General Manager, for organising tours of the centre.