Lausanne Genomic Biobank Stores 40,000 Samples

A biobank facility is storing 120,000 tubes of DNA samples in specialized freezers located in the basement of a CHUV facility. Elodie Rister-Cherry, the Biobank manager, and researcher Charlotte Chabin are overseeing the storage of these samples. The process involves extracting DNA and preserving it in frozen state. The facility aims to maintain these large-scale biological archives for research purposes. The University of Lausanne biobank has collected data from over 40,000 people to advance medical research. Participants must provide explicit consent for the reuse of data collected during care for research purposes. The process includes additional blood samples taken under strictly controlled conditions. The source said that no data is taken without such consent. The University of Lausanne and the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) are maintaining a genomic biobank. The facility stores DNA samples from approximately 40,000 people, including both adults and children. These samples are primarily derived from blood collected from patients currently undergoing treatment or those who have previously used hospital services.