Inner Mongolia's first biobank begins operating

The clinical data and sample resource library of the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University officially began operating in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Sept 9, according to local authorities. It is the first standardized biological sample bank in the region to meet the standards of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) and ISO17025.

A biological sample bank, also known as a biobank, is a biological application system that collects various human biological materials to treat diseases and engage in research.

The sample bank is located in the research building of the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, has a total area of 300 square meters and has received more than 4 million yuan ($562,271.58) in investment. It includes a sample processing area, cryogenic storage area, visiting area, and information technology and software management area. The cryogenic storage area currently has 18 ultra-low temperature refrigerators at a temperature of -80 Celsius degrees and five sets of liquid nitrogen containers capable of storing 132,000 samples.

The sample bank is not only necessary for the development of clinical medicine, but also an important part of Inner Mongolia's biobank. It increases clinical data information offered by sample providers and provides a strategic research platform for major clinical diseases.