The Laboratory and Biorepository Research Services (LABS) Core is an institutional core housed within the BMC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Its mission is to provide high-quality research services to members of the BMC and BU research community in order to support innovative and impactful science.
The LABS Core serves to provide a central, standardized process for receiving, processing, and fulfilling research service requests and has three primary service pillars:
- COVID-19 Biorepository: Access to prospectively collected and clinical remnant samples from COVID-19 patients. The LABS Core serves as the umbrella for this formerly independent service as of 2021.
- Clinical Remnant Sample Services: Investigator-initiated access to clinical remnant samples, including tissue and slides (i.e., leftover sample initially collected for clinical purpose)
- Biospecimen Archive Research Core (BARC): Sample processing services (e.g., PBMC isolation, plasma), storage, and shipping. The LABS Core serves as the umbrella for this formerly independent service as of 2021.
BMC serves a highly diverse patient population, including more than 70 percent identifying as African American, Hispanic, or Latinx, and nearly 76 percent coming from underserved populations such as low-income or elderly. Samples and services provided by LABS can therefore support and elevate research that addresses health disparities, risk factors, and outcomes that disproportionately impact our patient populations.
Our services are designed to be cost-effective (as a cost-neutral core, all services we provide are designed to be “at-cost”) and able to elevate your research. For instance, leveraging clinical remnant samples for your ongoing study may allow you to reduce the number of study visits or burden on study participants. Leveraging our sample processing services can remove the need to hire laboratory staff and cover costs associated with accessing a laboratory.
Core Director: Elizabeth Duffy, MA