Sample Quality Part of the First Nordic Biobank Conference 2022
How can you avoid false positive or negative results when analysing a biobank sample? Is your sample suitable for the purpose of your research project? These and other questions will be discussed during the Nordic Biobank Conference 2022. Biobank Core Facilities is participating through Åsa Torinsson Naluai who will be chair of the symposium dedicated for questions on sample quality.
The conference is to be held physically and has been rescheduled to 6-8 September 2022 due to the current COVID-19 situation.
"At the symposium about sample quality, we will give you hands-on advice about best practices when handling samples for clinical studies or when you wish to test for biomarkers. We will discuss potential risks that can damage the analysis, and we will identify procedures that can give false positive or false negative results,” said Åsa Torinsson Naluai, manager at Biobank Core Facility.
Fit for Purpose
Sample quality is also about having a sample that is fit for purpose, meaning that it is suitable to use for the specific purpose that a project has. Åsa explained further:
“This is particularly important for new samples taken for new projects, but we can also find out if already existing samples can be suitable for new projects. This can be done by using a technique that we have developed together with Chalmers and Swedish NMR Center. We can also identify various sources of error in existing samples so that researchers can compensate for these and make their analysis with as accurate results as possible.”
The technique can also reveal how existing samples have been handled, even if the handling process is unknown or undocumented. By identifying specific biomarkers, the handling of a sample can be tracked, and thus the quality of the sample can be determined.
A Valuable Nordic Co-operation
At the national level in Sweden, there has been an established collaboration for biobank issues since 2016, through BBMRI.se. There is also a Nordic network for sample quality. But this is the first time that a joint Nordic biobank conference has been organized.
“I think it is valuable that this new context includes all the Nordic countries. We have a lot in common across our borders, and a lot that we can learn from each other, so I am looking forward to being able to meet in person,” Åsa said.
