HUNT Biobank - The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study
HUNT Biobank
HUNT Biobank is an established and modern research biobank with high-technology equipment for storage, analysis, sample handling and delivery of samples. Our samples satisfy high quality standards and are stored in accordance with the Data Inspectorates laws and regulations.
HUNT Biobank engages in sample handling from The Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), Cohort of Norway (CONOR), and can receive samples from other researchers and research projects for storage, analysis and processing of DNA.
Data Resource Profile: The HUNT Biobank, International Journal of Epidemiology (2024) doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae073
- HUNT biobank stores human biological material such as DNA, blood, serum, plasma, buffycoat, urine, faeces, saliva and tissue. In addition, a small amount of non-human biological material from endangered species are also stored.
- At HUNT biobank we have an automated Brooks -80 °C store. This store is used for storage and selection of biological material.
- HUNT biobank has a nitrogen storage consisting of 16 nitrogen tanks which holds 1000 liters each. Each tank has room for approx. 100,000 1.4 ml Matrix tubes. The tubes are stored in the nitrogen gas phase, which maintains a temperature of -187 °C. Nitrogen storage is used for long-term storage.
- In addition, some of the biological material is stored in chest freezers at -20 °C, chest freezers at -80 °C and in firesafe cabinets at room temperature.
- HUNT Biobank can offer "High through-put" SNP genotyping for up to 5000 samples a day per SNP (TaqMan-based – 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System, Life Technologies).
- Biochemical analyses of serum/plasma is performed using ABX Pentra 400 and immunochemical analyses using Liaison. In addition we can offer Urisys 1100 for urine strip measurements.
- When analyzing DNA quantity and quality we use spectrophotometry (NanoDrop1000, NanoDrop 8000 and Trinean Dropsense96) and /or Pico Green.
- Quality control of RNA samples is performed using Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer.
- HUNT biobank has automated solutions for aliquoting and fractioning biological material using Tecan Evo 150 and Tecan Evo 200 .
- HUNT offers robotized DNA extraction from blood, buffy coat and saliva using Chemagic Star or Chemagic 360. HUNT also offers manual extraction of DNA.
- We have protocols for robotized extraction of RNA from Tempus tubes using Chemagic 360.
- HUNT biobank offers concentration measurement and normalizing of DNA to requested concentration using Biomek i5s8, PicoGreen based.
- The biobank will consider extraction of other biological material if instruments and protocols can be adapted.
Read more about Extraction and concentration normalisation of DNA.
HUNT has developed its own management system to ensure tracking and overview of our biosamples repository. The HUNT Biobank Resource Information System (Hubris) is a database which allows for an array of associated data and statistics to be stored with each sample. Among other things, the database is used to monitor sample delivery to projects and manage inventory such as remaining volume, concentration and quality of samples. Hubris allows for automated and safe handling of large data sets, assuring regulatory compliance.
HUNT Biobank is a national biobank for Cohort of Norway (CONOR) with 250.000 DNA samples from all the large Norwegian Health Surveys gathered at one place.
When building up HUNT Biobank we have applied to strict quality requirements for the collection, storage and processing of samples. The demand for these resources is increasing and this contributes to HUNT researchers and HUNT materials being part of a growing amount of nationally and internationally acknowledged research groups and projects in genetic epidemiology and other fields.
Researchers can apply for access to HUNT material (DNA, blood, serum, plasma, measurements and questionnaire data) or results of analyses of these.
HUNT Biobank is happy to receive biological material from researchers and health studies for extraction of DNA, analyses and /or storage at HUNT Biobank. Please see our pricing for external projects (not using HUNT material) under "Relevant links and documents". When using HUNT samples, please see our pricing for the use of HUNT samples. Please contact us with any inquiries you might have or to get a quote for your order.
HUNT Biobank is certified for its Management System in conformity with NS-EN ISO 9001:2015 as part of HUNT Research Centre since 2011.
About HUNT Biobank
A biobank is a collection of biological material consisting of one or more samples. Human biological material such as stored from The HUNT Study is defined as organs, parts of organs, cells, tissue or components of such material, that is DNA, RNA or proteins. A collection of this kind of material is a biobank, whether or not the samples can be traced back to an identifiable person or not.
The goal of our research biobank storing human biological material is to guarantee that collection, storage, handling and destruction of material is used for excellent research in an ethically correct way, thereby helping to provide new important insights into pathways of health and illness in society.
HUNT Research Centre has been certified according to the international standard ISO 9001:2015, Quality management systems, since 2011. The certification is a strategic choice to ensure high quality in all processes - from planning collections to the delivery of research data and biological material.
