About
The Virtual Biospecimen Discovery (VBD) tool is maintained by the Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR) group at UC Davis Health.
The
Biospecimen Core Resource group
is:
Background
Many labs in UC Davis Health collect and store tissue samples for their research. These tissue samples could prove to be useful for studies conducted by other researchers at UCD, but they currently do not have an easy way of finding them. When a researcher needs samples for his/her studies, he/she should be able to search through all of UCD's available tissue samples to find as many as possible. More samples to examine can lead to more accurate study results.
Purpose
The Virtual Biospecimen Discovery (VBD) tool is a public website designed to provide this service to UCD researchers. The website is a simple search tool that allows researchers to search through the UCD specimen database and find only the samples they are interested in. Once the researchers know where those specimens are, the VBD will provide contact information so that the researchers can contact the biobank and begin the process of sharing the samples.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the tissue data in the database obtained?The BCR team works closely with PIs and lab managers at UC Davis and UC Davis Health to collect relevant data fields about the specimens stored in their freezers. The data is obtained in regularly scheduled time intervals and inserted into the database, to keep the data as accurate as possible to what is currently available in the freezers.
How do I obtain the specimens for my study?Use the contact information provided on the results page of your query to start communicating with the lab, and they will have more information as to how to obtain the samples from them.
I have samples that I would like to add to this database, how do I do that?Please contact anyone from the BCR (shown above) about getting added to the VBD, and we can discuss the process for adding your samples to the database.
Is there a fee for participating in the VBD?There are no fees currently for providing your specimen data to the VBD. We cannot guarantee that the individual labs will not charge shipping or other fees to allow you to use their samples.
Links
UC Davis Health Homepage
UC Davis Health Biorepositories Core Resource (BCR)
UC Davis Health Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC)
Contact Us
For technical issues or feedback regarding the website, contact Jeff Trunnelle at jbtrunnelle@ucdavis.edu or 916-893-0852.