Specimen management

How should specimens be inventoried and managed over time?

Depending on the number of specimens being processed and/or kept, an automated inventory and tracking system will be required to identify what specimens have been assayed; which ones remain in storage; whether they have been thawed, assayed, and refrozen; and where they are located within a freezer. Some appropriate considerations for tracking specimens include:

• Should bar code labels be placed on each specimen tube and a bar code reader be used for the project? CPC has equipment to generate barcodes and read them. Linking the bar code to the subject ID is usually required, and the researcher may want to consider including other information in the bar code value, such as the specimen type or the round of data collection.
• Will specific tubes be selected for assay based on other information about the study participant, e.g., based on an adverse health outcome or characteristics determined through questionnaire data? If so, the ability to merge the inventory system with the other sources of these data is critical.
• How will the research staff locate specific tubes in a freezer?
• How will tubes that have been thawed for assay and then refrozen be identified?
• How will the volume of specimens available be recorded and tracked?
• How will tubes that have been used up be tracked?

Various software packages have been developed for inventory tracking, and project staff have used database software such as SAS and Microsoft Access to develop customized inventory databases. For more information about what to consider in such a tracking system or what resources are available to your CPC project, email the Biomedical Services core.

What about long-term storage after funding ends?

The day will likely come when the research project that collected the specimens is no longer funded. Though the cost of maintaining specimens in a freezer may be small, there are ongoing costs associated with maintaining the freezer, the alarm system, etc. There may be consent issues regarding disposal of the specimens after a certain period. There may also be some repositories that would be interested in having the specimens. The project researchers should consider possible long-term arrangements while there are project staff to help with the transition and before funding ends.

Are there special requirements for handling and shipping specimens?

There are OSHA regulations for all staff dealing with specimens and federal and international regulations for shipment of specimens. See the field logistics section of this Web site for details.