Cold Storage
A new, automated biorepository doubles genomics research support capacity
By Lauren Comander
Photography by Isabella Frias
The highly automated facility can hold 5 million samples of blood, plasma, serum and tissue.
The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the Miller School now has a new, state-of-the-art, 6,500-square-foot biorepository that greatly increases its capacity to store millions of research samples and expand its laboratory capabilities.
The highly automated facility can hold 5 million samples, which allows the Miller School to conduct more studies, analyze more samples and ultimately generate more findings related to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and heart disease. In fact, the biorepostory enables the Hussman Institute to double the 215 independent research studies it currently supports. The Miller School is one of only a handful of academic institutions nationwide that employ biobanking with this level of automation in a facility of such size and capacity.
The sophisticated system represents a significant advancement in biospecimen storage and retrieval technology. It maintains samples of blood, plasma, serum and tissue at a temperature of negative 80 degrees Celsius. Sample management has also been transformed by the new facility. Instead of staff manually searching through dozens of separate freezers, researchers submit electronic requests through a centralized system. Robotic components then locate and retrieve the requested samples, dramatically improving efficiency and reducing the risk of human error.
“This state-of-the-art facility constitutes a pivotal step in our journey to usher the Miller School into the pantheon of great research-focused medical schools,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer. “It strengthens our position as a leader in drug discovery and precision medicine and enables us to effectively address critical scientific challenges and achieve groundbreaking discoveries that will improve the health of humanity.” 
