Pre-Conference Events

Short Course One* 

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1:30 - 3:30 pm
Information Management: Conquering the Complexity of Biobanking

Biobanks provide the resource for researchers to increase our understanding of complex disease. Biosample resources come together through a complex chain of cooperation across collection, preservation, storage, retrieval, and research. The value of these biosamples lies not only in the samples themselves but with the metadata associated with each specimen. Information Management (IM) helps simplify data from inventory management to database integration through to data analysis. Learn from biobank managers and IT professionals as they share their experience of conquering the complexity of biobanking.

Designing the IM system to meet and adjust to growth:

• Inventory management
• Data capture and data tracking
• Quality control
• Chain-of-custody
• Integration of instrumentation and automation systems
• Improving operations
• Data sharing
• Data mining

Instructors:

Pedro Rondot Radío, Executive Director, Public National Oncologic Serum Biobank, University of Buenos Aires

Rao Mulpuri, Director, Center for Translational Research, CIRI, Catholic Health Initiatives

Zackery Riley, Manager, Tissue Procurement and Process Development, Allen Institute for Brain Science
 

*Separate registration required.  

Short Course Two* 

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3:45 - 5:45 pm
Lab Automation: Hands-On through Hands-Off Biobanking

How Do You Invest in the Future?

A well managed biobank is an investment that pays dividends. Biobanks create repositories of biological specimens for further biomolecular investigations. The sample types collected, preserved, stored, and distributed can be extremely diverse. Thus, laboratory automation is a critical component for handling ever increasing demands.

Where does it make fiscal and scientific sense to automate the process?

• Laboratory design
• Workflow implementation
• Maintaining compliance
• Developing SOPs
• Quality control
• ROI

Learn from the experiences of managers, technicians, and equipment providers as they share their experience of hands-on through hands-off biobanking.

Short course will include an on-site tour and hands-on laboratory experience at the Rutgers University Cell and DNA Repository.

Instructors:

Melissa Rawley-Payne, Assistant Director, CTSI Biorepository, Department of Pathology, Immunology, & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine

Ellis Gitlin, Director of Sales, Hamilton Storage Technologies

*Separate registration required.