The Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Biobank (HUVH Biobank) is a research support unit that collects human biological samples for biomedical research purposes in compliance with current legislation, and whose objective is to make available to the scientific community the biological material necessary for research in optimal conditions to ensure competitiveness and research excellence.

SERVICES

SPECIMEN PROCESSING SERVICES
HUVH Biobank offers the following Specimen processing services:
• Genomic DNA extraction from blood samples
• RNA extraction from tissue samples
• Serum and plasma separation
• Automated liquid handling for aliquoting blood, urine, serum, plasma and genomic DNA.
• Automated liquid handling for DNA normalization
• Freezing and cryopreservation of tissues
• Storage of biological samples

MATERIAL TRANSFER SERVICE
The HUVH Biobank collections are available for biomedical research projects.
To request samples through the Biobank Material Transfer Service it is required to fill out a sample request form that contains the description of the research objectives and the research applicant's commitment to use the requested samples exclusively for the scientific purposes specified in the request; also the research applicant must provide the approval of his/her institution Ethics Committee to conduct the research project.
The Biobank samples request is reviewed by the External Scientific and Ethics Committees of HUVH Biobank. These committees ensure that the best possible use is made of the Biobank samples for research projects of excellence.

BIOBANK ADVISORY SERVICE
The HUVH Biobank offers to research groups an advisory service to promote the proper collection, processing, storage and use of human biological samples for biomedical research.
• Advice on ethical and legal aspects of human biological samples collections;
• Advice on technical and methodological procedures for the proper collection, processing, storage and use of human biological samples.

Service purpose: to promote the proper collection, processing, storage and use of human biological samples for biomedical research.

REGISTRY SERVICE OF HUVH COLLECTIONS
Biological samples of human origin for use in biomedical research can be collected for a specific project, to create a collection or for a biobank (article 22 of Royal Decree 1716/2011, November 18th).
The HUVH Biobank keeps a registry of VHIR and HUVH collections that have been approved by the Ethics Committee of Clinical Research of Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron. This registry it is available through the Registro Nacional de Biobancos.