Expertise and services

Research Technology centers Radboud biobank

About Radboud Biobank

The Radboud Biobank aims to support researchers in achieving groundbreaking translational research by promoting the standardized collection, storage, and management of biomaterials together with detailed clinical data. read more

How can we help enhance your research?

dr. Peggy Manders
RTC coordinator

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Catalogue Radboud Biobank

To increase visibility and accessibility the Radboud Biobank uses the BBMRI-NL (Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure) to store details on individual biobank collections. Using the search term “Radboud”, you are able to find relevant sample collections. go to catalogue

Expertise and services

The Radboud Biobank collects, stores and manages biomaterial and the matching clinical data for the Radboudumc. read more

Start a sub-biobank

Do you want to start a new collection? Would you like to professionalize your current collection? We offer a step-by-step guide to setting up a sub biobank including links to necessary documents. go to guide

Apply for use of biomaterial/data

Biomaterial and associated clinical data from the Radboud Biobank are available to serious researchers with a relevant hypothesis and a good research plan. The research should directly or indirectly contribute to medical innovation. go to guide

Professionalize your collection

Existing biobanks: Would you like to professionalize your current collection? go to guide

Project storage

The Radboud Biobank offers researchers the opportunity for storage and management of biomaterial of research projects such as clinical trials, cohort studies and patient control studies. go to guide

5 years of sustainable biobanking

News Biobank

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Secondary use of human biomaterial

At the request of Radboudumc's Board of Directors, the Radboud Biobank is responsible for the implementation of the Dutch Code of Conduct Responsible Use within Radboudumc. read more

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Secondary use of human biomaterial

Radboud Biobank

At the request of Radboudumc's Board of Directors, the Radboud Biobank is responsible for the implementation of the Dutch Code of Conduct Responsible Use within Radboudumc.

Employees can access the letter to all departments from the Board of Directors and the Code of Conduct via the research info webpage under the heading 'Scientific Integrity'.
Patients can read about secondary use of human biomaterial in Dutch: Gebruik van uw medische gegevens en lichaamsmateriaal.

click on question to see answer
The head of the department ensures that the 2011 Code of Conduct is adhered to and rapports annually regarding the secondary use of biomaterial within the department to the Board of Directors via the Radboud Biobank director.
The researcher is obligated to present the scientific research protocol to the local review board (CMO-light) for review. Furthermore the researcher must adhere to the regulations of Good Data Practice as stipulated in the GCP stipulations (Dutch).
The laboratory technician must check the laboratory system to ascertain if the patient has objected to secondary use of their biomaterial and shall only issue coded biomaterial, for which there is no objection to secondary use, to researchers whose research proposal has been reviewed and accepted by the local review board (CMO-light).

Should the laboratory system not yet be connected with EPIC, the laboratory technician can check if the patient has made objection via a list containing the Radboud numbers of patients who object to secondary use of their biomaterial. This list is available each month via the Radboud Biobank.
The health professional must be well informed regarding the Code of Conduct because they have an important role in informing the patient. They can explain the secondary use of biomaterial to the patient and answer any questions. If necessary the health professional can indicate the objection in Epic or they can inform the patient on how to make objection via MijnRadboud.
The word Bezwaar is visible in the field Ter info.
Under Attributen the question Marks next to Bezwaar at the top of the table will not be visible and the fields Periode, Eenheid and Startdatum will contain the start date and the number of months since objection was made.
No, scientific research with diagnostic leftovers may be used without explicit permission from the patient provided the patient is well informed about the secondary use and has made no objection.
Yes, the child, on reaching maturity, must be informed and given the opportunity to make objection to secondary use of his/her biomaterial.
The biomaterial shall be destroyed unless it has been obtained with informed consent for a trial or follow-up study.
This is dependent on the type of study. For example, can the research only be performed on biomaterial from children? The local medical-ethical review board (CMO-light) will decide per case.
This objection will be made visible in EPIC and will be assimilated into the laboratory systems. The coded medical records and biomaterial from the patient will no longer be available for research.
Human biomaterial that has been collected in a period when the different elements of the Code of Conduct were not yet implemented, will only be used for scientific research after review of the research protocol by the local medical–ethical review board (CMO-light). The fact that patients were less well informed at the time of collection will be taken into account.
Yes. Just as the diagnosis, treatment and results of the treatment, the medical images are also part of the medical records.
It is possible to work with other researchers. Diagnostic leftovers and clinical records may not be shared with external companies for commercial purposes. Material and data should be released on the grounds of a material transfer agreement (MTA) and a data transfer agreement (DTA). Both documents must be approved during the review by the local medical-ethical review board (CMO-light).
No. The local medical-ethical review board (CMO-light) only reviews for Radboudumc. Each participating center may have its own local review procedure that must be met before the diagnostic leftovers can be used for research. However, momentarily a plan for once-only multicenter review is being developed.

Patients an integral role

Without the trust and participation of patients, it is impossible to establish a good collection. The patient provides personal information and biomaterial. read more

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Patients an integral role

Without the trust and participation of patients, it is impossible to establish a good collection. The patient provides personal information and biomaterial. With this donation, she/he contributes to the biobank, which makes new scientific research possible about the condition with which the patient is diagnosed. Although this knowledge may come too late to help this individual patient, her/his donation contributes to the development of diagnostics, new successful treatments, better prognosis and more effective prevention strategies for others in the near future.

About the Radboud Biobank and patients

The patient has a permanent voice

The patient receives a permanent, authoritative voice in the Radboud Biobank. The chairperson of the Advisory Council, a prominent role on the council, has been reserved for a patient representative. Moreover, disease-specific foundations and societies continued to be involved in departmental research to provide a non-academic perspective. There are also plans for an internet portal for donors to the Radboud Biobank and a patient representative is also a member of in the medical-ethical review board (CMO).

Click here for more information for patients (in Dutch).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question? Please see the answers to frequently asked questions, before contacting us. see list

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Frequently Asked Questions

Radboud Biobank FAQs

Obtaining samples: all costs are covered by the department
Radboud Biobank: all costs listed below are covered by the Radboud Biobank

General costs:	Supervision of collection process, organization and maintenance of IT services, accountability (general, ethical and financial), quality assurance;
Logistics:	Tubs selection, write and maintain SOPs for handling of monsters, isolation of DNA/RNA, tissue embedding;
Preparation:	Isolation of DNA/RNA and cells, division into aliquots, tissue selection and embedding, organizing purchase or sharing of apparatus and maintenance thereof
Storage:	Purchase of freezers, boxes and tubes including back-up services, monitoring system, calibration, printers, stickers, rent of location and energy costs. In the long term an automated storage system;
Maintenance:	Maintaining storage system, defrosting freezers;
Registration:	Purchasing biobank management system;
Issuance:	procedure for withdrawal of informed consent;

Each project using samples from the biobank has to be approved by the CMO-light. In general the CMO-light review takes 2 – 3 weeks.
To prevent biomaterial and data being delivered to those wishing to use it for other purposes than relevant and well-grounded research the following conditions apply:
- The application should be made by (or together with) a researcher employed by the Radboudumc from the department that initiated the sub-biobank (Radboudumc colleague cosigns the application and transfer agreement(s) and is responsible for compliance to the contractual provisions);
- The CMO-light reviews each application on quality and ethical-legal aspects;
- The head of the sub-biobank is in agreement with the issuance.
The collected biomaterial and data maintain their value for future research and shall be stored and kept indefinitely.
Radboud Biobank and the CMO-light are open to all forms of collaboration with external partners. This is also valid for collaboration between commercial partners and Radboudumc researchers as long as it serves medical-scientific development and innovation. Biomaterial from the Radboud Biobank is issued to external partners under the conditions of a standard Material Transfer Agreement. Biomaterial from the Radboud Biobank will not be used for the production of commercial products.