KI Biobank Core Facility - user guidelines

KI Biobank Core Facility assists researchers with advice on how to start a sample collection, how the specimen should be collected and labeled, and what legal requirements must be met in order to be able to collect human biological samples.

Among other things, we help to establish the necessary agreements under the Biobank Act, offer sample handling, formatting of samples before analysis, and assistance with various forms of transportation. We also provide robust IT systems, ensuring full traceability of each sample for customers with samples stored at the KI Biobank as well as other departments at Karolinska Institutet and/or Region Stockholm.

New user

Study start-up

Before you start your collection, we can help you with the ethics application, consent forms and sample donor information. To provide best possible help, we advice you to contact us in good time before the planned starting date.  

Agreements

Biobank agreement

Swedish legislation demand traceability of biobank samples. To fulfill the requirements, national and/or local biobank agreements have been compiled. Information about the agreements is found below or via the home page of Biobank Sweden, where the documents can be found. For questions and advice, please contact biobank@ki.se.

Service Agreement

Before starting a sample collection at KI Biobank, a service agreement must be signed between the principal investigator and KI Biobank. KI Biobank helps prepare this agreement from a standard template.

Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)

When samples are to be sent outside the responsible organization, which has the legal responsibility, a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) will have to be established. This agreement regulates safety and responsibility for samples and data. The documents can be found on Biobank Sweden's website.

The MTA must be approved and signed by all parties before samples are allowed to be sent from KI Biobank.

K5. Information on agreements when human biological material is to be sent for an action (PDF)
L2a1. AGREEMENT about making Human Biological Material available to a Research Principal for an Action 10.0 (docx)
L2a2. AGREEMENT about making Human Biological Material available for an Action in clinical trials and performance studies 10.0 (docx)
L2a3. AGREEMENT about making Human Biological Material available when a Research Principal sends samples for an Action to a Recipient 10.0 (docx)

Sending samples

Find out how to send samples to KI Biobank Core Facility.

Send samples to KI Biobank Core Facility

Withdrawal of Samples

To pick out samples from your sample collection fill in the form Withdrawal Order. You should also prepare an Excel file with Sample donor ID. The sample donor ID can be one of two types, either CDK (Customer Donor Key) or RID (Referral ID).

The Withdrawal Order, with the signature of the principal investigator, should be sent via e-mail to biobank@ki.se. You will receive log in credentials to a server so that you can upload your file with sample donor ID. 

If your samples should be sent for analyses, you need to have a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), see above under Agreement. 

Withdrawal from LifeGene or EpiHealth

LifeGene andEpiHealth are two unique studies which aim to deepen our knowledge in how our genes and our environment interact in various diseases.

For sample and data withdrawal, please visit LifeGene's website and EpiHealth's website.