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UTMB Institutional Biorepository

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), with financial support from the Sealy and Smith Foundation, established the UTMB Institutional Biorepository to support translational, clinical and basic science research. In addition, the UTMB Biobank, Research Histology Lab and Research Electron Microscopy Lab serve as specimen resource centers for all UTMB and external investigators.

 

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What's Happening NOW

Help Us Help You - Submitting Your Research Histology Request

We are always happy to receive new research histology requests! We relish at the opportunity to support your research and further advance medicinal developments for our communities. Our goal is always to provide you with the highest quality specimens/images in the most timely manner possible. In order to help us meet these goals, there are a few things you can do before submitting your specimens to us:

  1. Discuss Your Case With A Biorepository Technician at Drop-Off - speaking with a Biorepository technician when you come to drop off your specimens can help avoid delays in returning your case to you. We can help identify additional information that may have been unintentionally omitted when completing your request form or help clarify the services being requested when it is not clear on the form.
  2. Be Mindful When Fixing Your Tissues - allowing your specimens to sit in formalin for longer than 36-72hrs can be harmful to your specimens. See our tissue fixation guide to help you determine how long your specimens should fix before being processed and embedded. Over/Under fixed tissues can make good sections very difficult to achieve!
  3. Separate Your Tissues by Type - brain tissue requires a longer processing run, so processing a cassette holding brain and other tissue types is inevitably problematic. If a shorter run is selected to accommodate the other tissue types, the brain tissue will be under processed ('squishy'). However, if a longer run is used to fully process the brain tissue, the other tissues will be over processed ('crunchy'). Submitting these different tissue types to the Biorepository already separated into different cassettes will help us process your requests faster and drastically improve the quality of the slides returned to you. If you are limited in access to cassettes, please consider reaching out to the Biorepository to purchase a few, rather than a whole case from a supplier.
  4. Secure Your Tissue Orientation Using Surgical Sponges - if orientation of your embedded tissue is of importance to you or if you have really small tissue that you don't want to lose to the tissue processor consider using surgical sponges to help hold the orientation of the your tissue as placed in the cassette by you. Our technicians embed tissue based on the exact orientation of the tissue in the cassette after it has been processed. 
  5. Submit Your Requests in Batches - if you have a large number of specimens needing service, consider breaking your request up into batches and submitting them in the order you need them back. If you need an estimate of services for grant submission or any reason, we are happy to provide you with a quote for services to help you secure funding for future requests.
  6. Submit a Flash Drive With Digital Image Requests - When requesting digital images make sure you leave us with an external flash drive for your images to be downloaded onto. Please ensure there is ample space for the file type you have requested - to note: Big TIFF files take up an enormous amount of space!
  7. Don't Forget to Cite Us in Your Publications - we love recognition as supporters of your research! Not only that, but citing us in your publications helps to secure the future of the Biorepository as a valuable and useful resource for the UTMB Research Community!

How'd We Do?

We love feedback and are constantly looking for ways to improve...please help us out by taking our quick 1-minute survey!

https://utmb.questionpro.com/biorepfeedbacksurvey

COVID-19 SPECIMENS:

We now have COVID-19 positive specimens that include the following specimen types:

  • Buffy Coat
  • Nasal
  • Nasopharyngeal/Oropharyngeal swabs
  • Plasma
  • Serum
  • Sputum
  • Stool
  • Urine
  • Whole Blood

To submit a request for COVID-19 specimens, please go to the BSEI website. Specific questions can be sent to BSEI@utmb.edu.