The CRC provides investigators with access to laboratory technicians for routine and complex sample processing. The laboratory processing staff has extensive experience in working with many central laboratories for federal and pharmaceutical company supported clinical research projects and with transfer of samples to individual research laboratories. Our laboratory technician is IATA certified to ship biological specimens.
To protect the integrity and the chain of custody samples use of the processing laboratory is restricted to CRC staff only. All samples received or leaving the processing lab must be logged in and out with a CRC staff person.
Through the Clinical Research Center laboratory, investigators may access an outside CLIA certified laboratory for routine clinical assays. The contract lab generally results samples within 72 hours of collection. Samples requiring more rapid analysis to determine patient safety or eligibility to participate may be sent to the BIDMC Clinical Laboratory.
The processing laboratory also participates in the CLIA certified BIDMC Point of Care testing program. POC testing includes: urine pregnancy, urine dipstix, stool guaiac, and blood glucose.
The CRC processing laboratory contains variable speed refrigerated centrifuges, a fixed speed room temperature centrifuge, vortexer, scale, 4°C refrigerators and -20°C and -80°C freezers. All refrigerators and freezers are temperature alarmed and temperatures are checked and logged daily. Equipment is calibrated and records are available upon request.