Laboratory
Up to 200 blood samples arrive at the laboratory every day, and each
must be processed as quickly as possible.
The blood samples received from the Breakthrough Generations Study are processed at the Breakthrough Research Centre. We have a dedicated facility in which over 200 blood samples can be processed daily.
Blood samples arrive and separated into the constiuent buffy coat, plasma and red blod cell layers. Using a mapi machine, the samples are drawn into straws for long term storage in liquid nitrogen. The samples are stored in three distinct locations.
To date over 50,000 blood samples
have been processed and stored in the first stage of the data
collection. Blood samples will be collected from participants every 5
years.
