Biospecimen Collection & Banking Core

Comprehensive biospecimen management for cancer research

The Biospecimen Collection and Banking Core—or BC²—merges the Tissue Procurement Core, the Komen Tissue Bank, and the biobanking efforts of the Clinical Trials Office and the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN).

Under the leadership of medical director Anna Maria Storniolo, MD, the core supports cancer research by providing comprehensive biospecimen management, including:

  • Collection
  • Storage
  • Distribution
  • Annotation (in collaboration with others)

We also encompass three working groups:

  • Regulatory and Data
  • Sample Acquisition
  • Outreach/Recruitment/Communication 

For more information about BC², contact Jill Henry at jihenry@iu.edu or 317-278-2829.

Q&A: Utilizing the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN)

Emily Nelson is the data and regulatory team manager and ORIEN program manager for the cancer center’s Biospecimen Collection and Banking Core. Nelson answers questions about ORIEN.

Learn about the network

Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank

The Komen Tissue Bank (KTB) at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only normal breast tissue biorepository of its kind in the world, making it uniquely positioned to characterize the molecular and genetic basis of normal breast development and compare it to the different types of breast cancer.

It was established expressly for the acquisition of normal  tissues — breast tissue, cryopreserved tissue, serum, plasma and DNA — from volunteer donors with no clinical evidence of breast disease and/or malignancy, providing a resource to investigators around the globe.

KTB Resources for Researchers

The specific aims of the Tissue Procurement and Distribution Core are:

  • Specific Aim 1: To provide well-annotated, diverse, high quality biologic material to support basic and translational solid tumor research.
  • Specific Aim 2: To coordinate procurement, processing, storage, and management of tissue samples collected in conjunction with therapeutic and correlative solid tumor clinical trials.
  • Specific Aim 3: To develop and maintain tissue microarrays to support biomarker research.
  • Specific Aim 4: To collaborate with investigators to provide analyses of banked, archived, or tissue microarray samples, including pathologic characterization and immunohistochemistry.

Fee for Service Rates

Effective: July 1, 2024

Specimen TypeIUEXTERNAL
Aperio Imaging$22$66
Ascites or Pleural Fluid collection- Processed 50ml conical$19$57
Ascites or Pleural Fluid collection- yields 1 bulk container$70$210
Blood Collection: whole blood (no processing)$30$90
Blood Derivative: WB, Plasma, Serum or Buffy Coat/vial$10$30
Blood or BMA Collection with PBMC processing (per sample)$210$630
Buccal Collection$49$147
Chart Review (per hour)$34$102
H&E Slide Preparation$18$54
Pathology Report$24$72
Priority Processing Fee/Rush Requests (per 10 samples)$34$102
Project Set Up Fee (per hour)$56$168
RNA Later (per tissue type)$12$36
Shipping Supplies (ambient/wet ice per shipping container)$34$102
Shipping Supplies (frozen/dry ice per shipping container)$50$150
Slide Paraffin Sections (per 5 slides)$25$75
Storage Fees- frozen (LN2 or -80C) per box per year$26$78
TMA Build Only (61-90 cores)$890$2,670
TMA Build Only (up to 60 cores)$670$2,010
Technician Rate (per hour)$34$102
Tissue Collection Cryopreserved$135$405
Tissue Collection FFPE$126$378
Tissue Collection FFPE - each additional tissue type from same case$25$75
Tissue Collection FRESH$100$300
Tissue Collection FRESH - each additional tissue type from same case$22$66
Tissue Collection FROZEN (150mg archived tissue)$112$336
Tissue Collection processed 2 ways (same tissue type)$138$414
Tissue Collection processed 3 ways (same tissue type)$144$432
Tissue Microarray (60 cores or less) $2,200$6,600
Tissue Microarray (61-90 cores) $3,035$9,105
Urine Collection (no processing)$60$180
Urine Collection (per 10 ml aliquot)$24$72
Urine Collection (per 1ml aliquots)$10$30

If you are a cancer center member, please contact Pam Rockey at prockey@iu.edu for additional rate information.

Confidentiality

Tissue procurement maintains patient confidentiality by using a database system, Oncore BSM, which utilizes unique patient identifiers and limits access by investigators to the encryption code.

Conflict resolution

Conflicts/problems are resolved by the oversight committee. A written or verbal request may be submitted to any committee member who will in turn present it to the entire committee to resolve.

Cost recovery/payment policies 

The advisory committee oversees the annual costs and charges for specimen collection, storage, distribution and shipping. Payment is requested within 45 days after delivery.

Prioritization of work

The oversight committee sets the guidelines and procurement prioritization for various research groups. Indiana University researchers are given first priority, followed by outside collaborators such as Purdue, and followed by industry sponsors.

Publication acknowledgment

If research supported by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Tissue Procurement & Distribution Core results in publication, please acknowledge this support by including the following in your publication(s):

We would like to thank the Biospecimen Collection and Banking Core at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center who provided _____ service in support of this study. We thank contributors, including Indiana University, who collected samples and/or data used in this study, as well as study participants whose help and participation made this work possible.

There is no expectation of authorship for any of the facility staff.

Rapid processing is key to maintaining quality

The TPD team receives all specimens within 90 minutes of excision, with greater than 70 percent within 30 minutes of excision.

Contact the KTB team

Connect with Jill Henry, Chief Operating Officer, at jihenry@iu.edu or 317-278-2829, or Kathi Ridley-Merriweather, Communication and Minority Outreach Coordinator, at keridley@iu.edu or 317-274-2366.

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