The SVI Biobank is a storage resource and repository for research groups, clinical trials organisations and others requiring contract storage of biological samples.

Managed by and housed at NRL’s primary laboratory facility on the St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne campus, the SVI Biobank stores human specimens – such as whole blood, plasma, serum and tissue – for any disease type.

Who we are

The SVI Biobank was established in 2015 as a new facility at NRL (a division of St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, SVI), with the support of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust (HMSTrust).

Since then, the Biobank has grown to a collection of more than 22,000 specimens from over 600 participants. Primarily a bank of blood products (including plasma, serum, PBMC, and whole blood), the Biobank also houses a growing collection of tissue samples.

Biobank has the capacity, staff and skills to store many more sample types (such as faecal samples, nasal swabs, etc), and to work with clinical researchers to ensure all study-specific sample collection needs are met.

What we offer

The SVI Biobank offers an end-to-end service, encompassing:

  • pre-study consultation and planning
  • sample collection and processing
  • troubleshooting and ongoing adaptation to changing study needs
  • 24/7 temperature monitored freezers
  • secure de-identified data collation

We offer the complete package for research study needs, tailoring services to the needs of each individual study.

SVI Biobank can store samples for any disease type: we currently store diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, HIV and HTLV samples.

We supply safe storage and access to critical samples for Australian, New Zealand and global teams undertaking:

  • Primary research
  • Translational research
  • Clinical research
  • Clinical trials

We can work with you prior to grant submission, to advise on protocols and to provide budgeting information.

  • Quality Statement

    The SVI Biobank is certified by the Immunovirology Research Network (IVRN) as competent in the processing of PBMC, and all of our biobank staff participate in this ongoing quality assurance program. As a facility of the NRL, the SVI Biobank works within the ISO 9001 quality framework, and is supported by a quality management system, and staffed specimen reception. Biobank’s freezers and fridges are temperature monitored and recorded 24-7.

    Together, these processes ensure robust sample handling protocols and confidence in chain-of-custody and storage of samples for our users.

    Pricing structure

    SVI Biobank’s charges are based solely on cost recovery for services provided. Pricing structures are tailored to the individual needs of each study, based on the number and type of samples to be collected. In the case of investigator-initiated studies with no immediate funding available, we can offer a ‘back-ended’ cost model, where the immediate cost to deposit samples is kept to a minimum and the remainder charged at the time of sample retrieval.

    Please click here to request a tailored quote for your study.

    Sample retrieval

    Application to retrieve Biobank samples is open to any party with a valid, current human ethics approval in place. All applications are reviewed by the SVI Biobank Governance Committee and will be referred to the original sample depositor where appropriate. Users who have not deposited a sample in Biobank will pay a proportion of the costs of banking the sample at the time of retrieval.

    Please click here to enquire about samples available at SVI Biobank, and retrieval costs.

    How we make a difference

    Biobank is supporting SVI’s BANDIT clinical trial for type 1 diabetes, which aims to slow or stop progress of the disease in newly diagnosed people. The trial is being run across four hospitals in Melbourne and Adelaide.

    Patients who have recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes receive the trial drug (or placebo) and donate six blood samples over a two-year period. Biobank processes four different sample types from the donated blood and will store them securely until the end of the trial, when samples from each donor will be tested together to evaluate results.

Our Partners