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Home\Blog\Spotlight on GenV\Banking on biology Home Banking on biology Banking on biology GenV is only made possible by the generosity of Victorian families. Thousands of parents and children have provided biosamples and data to GenV. This helps research aimed at improving the lives of future generations. Biosamples and data must be kept safe and secure. State-of-the-art technology is a big part of this. The GenV biobank is unique in Australia. It is a partnership between the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, and The Royal Children’s Hospital. At its heart is a fully automated Hamilton storage system. It can safely store millions of biosamples at -80°C over an extended period. Over 500,000 biosamples are stored and counting! Professor Richard Saffery, Deputy Director of Bio Sciences for GenV, explained that the GenV biobank is one-of-a-kind and will change the way biosamples are stored and accessed. “The GenV biobank comprises one of the world’s largest collections of pregnancy, newborn and parental biosamples. It was designed to accommodate the large number of biosamples we’re collecting as part of our world-leading research program.” The GenV biobank comprises one of the world’s largest collections of pregnancy, newborn and parental biosamples. It was designed to accommodate the large number of biosamples we’re collecting as part of our world-leading research program. Professor Richard Saffery Deputy Director of Bio Sciences for GenV “What is so special about our biobank is that it is fully automated, with robotics managing the introduction, sorting and picking of biosamples at a stable and very cold temperature. This ensures these precious biosamples are safely and securely stored. This is a game changer in terms of efficiency and security,” he said. Professor Saffery said that in the past, analysing large collections of frozen biosamples would have taken many people weeks to identify, locate and retrieve. “Now, a similar collection can be done by automation overnight. And because the sorting is done at -80°C, the biosamples are of a better quality and last longer. “What is most important is how these biosamples will support greater research efforts and understanding of common child and adult health issues. By looking at the biosamples generously provided by GenV participants, researchers can identify biomarkers to refine clinical diagnoses or predict long-term health outcomes”. “The possibilities that GenV has to improve health outcomes is so exciting, and technology advances such as our biobank will help to realise this vision,” he concluded. GenV is led from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital and University of Melbourne. GenV is funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), the Victorian Government, The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund. Article by GenV Team Share this article: