NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Persistent Systems and the Translational Genomics Research Institute announced they are developing a commercial version of a biospecimen management system.
Called Bio4D, initial versions of the software have been used at TGen in research into the underlying causes of diseases. The partners will now develop a commercial version to manage the collection, processing, storage, distribution, and analysis of biospecimens including blood, DNA, and tissue samples, such as samples from cancer biopsies.
Bio4D was designed to manage biological repositories for genetic and genomic research, and systems like it are crucial in advancing personalized medicine, TGen and Persistent said.
"Ultimately, tools like Bio4D have the potential to transform the management of biospecimens and supporting research data in a way that speeds information between researchers and oncologists," Jeffrey Trent, TGen's president and research director, said in a statement. "Accelerating this process is one more way we can benefit patients."
Bio4D will be designed for ease of use and, unlike generic laboratory information management systems, will have features and functions to address the needs of biobank scientists and biospecimen managers.
"Bio4D's design tool greatly simplifies the study and data collection process, enforces good biospecimen management practices and compliance with global regulatory requirements," Peter Boler, senior vice president of Life Sciences and Healthcare for Persistent, said.
The system's search abilities will include clinical and molecular profile parameters, enabling the discovery or validation of biomarkers, diagnostics, and therapeutics, the partners said.
Bio4D will also address "high levels" of regulatory, ethical, and legal scrutiny surrounding the biomedical management of biospecimens in association with clinical and non-clinical trials.