2018 SLAS Americas Sample Management Symposium

The discovery and production of biologic therapeutics is an ever-expanding frontier in the biotech/pharmaceutical sector. As a result, the need has arisen to develop efficient and robust means of managing biologic samples, and to address some of the unique challenges they present to the sample management community. As the molecules that encode the language of life, nucleic acids are foundational for the production of suitable protein and antibody drug candidates and research reagents. When managed in individual labs, potential can exist for research samples to be unavailable for use in the broader organization or to be discarded due to unknown or compromised sample identity, integrity and/or location. Owing to their stability and potential for rapid replication and scale up, Nucleic Acids are ideal candidates for sample management in a centralized, state-of-the-art archive which serves as a valuable research asset to proactively prevent loss of corporate memory and maintain sample integrity. This talk will highlight workflow optimization strategies, including automation and bioinformatics, employed in Genentech’s Biologics Sample Management facility that enable us to empower research by providing an efficient means to receive, store, track and distribute these materials. Supported workflows include automated high-throughput small scale DNA preparation, distribution of DNA to support large scale recombinant protein expression, distribution of nucleic acids as research reagents in their own right, archiving best practices and areas for future expansion.