Welcome to the Biospecimen Research Database

The Biospecimen Research Database (BRD) is a free and publicly accessible database that contains peer-reviewed literature pertinent to the field of human biospecimen science. The database is updated periodically with both recent and historical publications and may serve as a vehicle for literature review, evaluation of "in use" biospecimen handling protocols, development of new protocols, and identification of analytes that are susceptible or impervious to handling variability.

The BRD (http://biospecimens.cancer.gov/brd/), an initiative of the BRN program, represents a joint venture of the OBBR and the National Cancer Institute Center for Bioinformatics. BRD paper entries include primary research or review articles that have been identified, reviewed, and curated by a Ph.D. level scientist. For each paper contained within the BRD (1) relevant parameters have been annotated, including the biospecimen investigated (tissue/cell type, patient diagnosis), the preservation method employed, the analyte of interest, and the technology platform applied; (2) relevant results have been summarized in free-text fields; and (3) variables encountered during the lifecycle of a biospecimen (e.g. ischemia time, fixation parameters, storage conditions) have been captured by experimental factors.

A login is not required to enter or search the BRD, simply hit "Search" to begin.

Literature and protocol referrals, as well as feedback, are welcomed and may be submitted to mailto:biospecimens@mail.nih.gov.