Nautilus LIMS used in Hunt Biobank population study
Hunt Biobank, Norway's biggest research biobank, is using Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc's Nautilus LIMS in its HUNT 3 study, to gather, store, manage, track and retrieve the biological data of approximately 100,000 people from Nord-Trøndelag County.
HUNT Biobank studies provide insight into disease status and progression, particularly in relation to quality of life measures such as environment, education and occupation. Spanning almost 25 years, HUNT Biobank now represents an integrated family and personal database. The HUNT 3 study, part of one of the largest population-based health studies ever performed, incorporates over 130 sub-studies, including status in subjective health, diabetes, lung, cardiovascular, thyroid, muscle and skeletal diseases, mental diseases, prostate complaints, urinary incontinence, female reproductive disorders and gynaecological diseases.
Initiated to support epidemiological, clinical and preventative medical research, it is due for completion this June.
The Nautilus LIMS interfaces with the laboratory’s existing robotics, import files from the hospital laboratory, and then return results for every participant. Thermo Fisher reports that participation from the population has been successful in large part because every participant receives the feedback document reporting their health status, facilitated by Nautilus LIMS. The system also provides clinical follow-up, data handling and quality control following data collection and distributes coded data files to various research groups. Additionally, the LIMS has become the means of linking information from the extensive HUNT database to each study participant’s personal identity number, as well as to end-point national health registries. The Nautilus LIMS installed base of biobanking organisations also provides a network of shared user experiences.
‘Being totally configurable, the system has been very easy to implement right out-of-the-box and has delivered superior data capture, integration and automation capabilities,’ said Thor Gunnar Steinsli, LIMS Manager of HUNT Research Centre and Biobank.
‘The unique security capability of Nautilus LIMS has allowed HUNT Biobank users to keep regulated data separate from unregulated processes, to ensure maximum data authenticity, integrity and traceability,’ Thermo Fisher points out.
01.09.2008
