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The biobank of the Norwegian mother and child cohort Study: A resource for the next 100 years

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Abstract

Introduction

Long-term storage of biological materials is a critical component of any epidemiological study. In designing specimen repositories, efforts need to balance future needs for samples with logistical constraints necessary to process and store samples in a timely fashion.

Objectives

In the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), the Biobank was charged with long-term storage of more than 380,000 biological samples from pregnant women, their partners and their children for up to 100 years.

Methods

Biological specimens include whole blood, plasma, DNA and urine; samples are collected at 50 hospitals in Norway. All samples are sent via ordinary mail to the Biobank in Oslo where the samples are registered, aliquoted and DNA extracted. DNA is stored at −20 °C while whole blood, urine and plasma are stored at −80 °C.

Results

As of July 2006, over 227,000 sample sets have been collected, processed and stored at the Biobank. Currently 250–300 sets are received daily. An important part of the Biobank is the quality control program.

Conclusion

With the unique combination of biological specimens and questionnaire data, the MoBa Study will constitute a resource for many future investigations of the separate and combined effects of genetic, environmental factors on pregnancy outcome and on human morbidity, mortality and health in general.

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Abbreviations

OD:

Optical Density

LIMS:

Laboratory Information Management System

MoBa:

The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

PKU:

Phenylketonuria

QA/QC:

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

SOP:

Standard Operating Procedure

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Acknowledgements

The Biobank of the MoBa study is supported by NIH/NIEHS (grant no. N01-ES-85433), NIH/NINDS (Autism Birth Cohort U01 NS 047537), EU/EARNEST (grant no. 007036), Norwegian Research Council/FUGE (grant no. 151918/S10) and the Norwegian Government. We thank the International Advisory Committee: Elaine Gunter, Richard Jones, Mads Melbye, Egil Jellum, and Anne-Lise Børresen-Dale for their helpful advice for design and logistics of the Biobank, the MoBa group in Bergen for recruitment and tracking of study participants, and all the laboratory technicians at the Biobank for their efforts.

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Correspondence to Kjersti S. Rønningen.

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Rønningen, K.S., Paltiel, L., Meltzer, H.M. et al. The biobank of the Norwegian mother and child cohort Study: A resource for the next 100 years. Eur J Epidemiol 21, 619–625 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9041-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9041-x

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