Biobank

Biobank

Existing scientific collection (E-HIV BIO) collects and stores biomaterial linked with clinical data of patients participating in E-HIV. Biobank regulations can be found here.

Biosamples (whole blood) are collected at least once a year in all Estonian institutions that are serving HIV-positive patients (hospitals and prisons). Blood plasma and peripheral mononuclear cells are extracted from whole blood and stored in Department of Microbiology, University of Tartu. As of 26th of April 2016 4599 patients were listed on E-HIV and samples from 1603 patients were collected on 2918 occasions.   

Biomaterial storage 

Biomaterial is stored in two institutions – main collection in Department of Microbiology University of Tartu (blood plasma and PBMC) and smaller part in University of Tartu Estonian Genome Centre (rented by E-HIV). In Department of Microbiology the collection is situated in HIV laboratory – last laboratory on hallway and used only by HIV group. Blood plasma is stored in -80 °C freezer and PBMC in -80 °C freezer as well as in vapour phase of liquid nitrogen. The temperatures of -80 °C freezers and the level of liquid nitrogen are supervised every day.

University of Tartu Estonian Genome Centre offers a rental service for storing biosamples in liquid nitrogen, where the regulation of liquid nitrogen levels and temperature monitoring are automatic.