A variety of laboratory analyses take place at the Strangeways Research Laboratory (SRL), including the extraction of DNA, RNA, and plasma from blood samples, as well as SNP genotyping (for Genome-Wide Association Studies, GWAS) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).
As an epidemiology laboratory, we:
- aim to run simple, robust experiments on large numbers of samples.
- aim to avoid any possibility of mixing-up samples whilst processing them quickly and efficiently to get highly reproducible results.
- have a very experienced team of staff who routinely use robotics and bar-code readers within a LIM (Laboratory Information Management) system to track samples through each experiment.
Processing of Blood Samples
- blood samples from volunteers from some of our research studies arrive in the lab. Each blood tube already carries a bar-code that is unique for each volunteer.
- the blood samples are logged into our LIM system and rapidly sorted for extraction of DNA, RNA, plasma, or storage in freezers for later use.
- the bar-codes are used to track every process so that not only can we be certain which results belong to whom, but also how much sample we have left from each volunteer and where that is stored.
Image: GWAS SNP array
SRL Equipment
- ABI Taqman system which when configured with allied robotics and thermal cyclers, can routinely generate results from a single SNP in 36,000 samples per week.
- Biomark Fluidigm system capable of genotyping 96 SNPs in 4,000 samples per week.
- Illumina Hi-scan system for even higher throughput SNP genotyping as well as Next Generation Sequencing.
Image: Fluidigm array - used for our sequencing projects
We take pride in the time and care we put into fitting each technology into an efficient and accurate process. It gives us confidence that the results we put into our databases for our statistician and epidemiologist colleagues are as reliable as they can be.