Biospecimen Processing Lab

Rates and Invoicing (iLab)

The Biospecimen Processing Lab (BSPL) utilizes the following approved recharge rates:

A full breakdown of all services offered by the Biospecimen Processing Lab is included in the table below:

Surgical Collection

Complex Surgical Collection charge:
A BSPL PA coordinates with the operating room team and surgical pathology department to collect tissue from surgical procedures. The PA's are trained to dissect complex specimens according to surgical pathology guidelines so that clinical evaluation of the specimens are not impacted and research  tissue can be obtained fresh. Tissue will be prepared for storage or downstream assays according to requestors specifications or via the Biobank protocols. 

Simple Surgical Collection charge:
A BSPL PA coordinates with the operating room team and surgical pathology department to collect simple specimens from surgical procedures that require no gross manipulation by the PA. The PA's are trained to determine fragments of tissue that are in excess of what is needed for pathology so that clinical evaluation of the specimens are not impacted. Tissue will be prepared for storage or downstream assays according to requestors specifications or via the Biobank protocols. 

Includes:

  • Coordination with the operating room and rapid collection of specimen
  • Dissection and procurement of research tissue
  • Sample hand-off and intercampus courier services

Additional Charges:

  • External shipping
  • Blood processing
  • Long-term storage of specimens 
  • Tissue Preparation Kit
New Protocol Support Request Three hours of staff time to review lab manuals, build out MBioLIMs database, and train staff on protocol. Required fee for starting up all new studies.
Retrieve Samples from Biobank  

Sample pull requests are billed at our hourly rate for time spent pulling samples from inventory, manifesting, and packing up samples for distribution.

Includes:

  • Sample hand-off and intercampus courier services
  • Manifest generation and database updates

Additional Charges:

  • External shipping 
  • On-demand courier
Biopsy Collection

Biopsy Collection charge:
A biobank technician attends biopsy procedure and coordinates with research staff and clinical staff to collect specified type and quantity of material required for study.  Tissue is collected and preserved in the procedure room to ensure viability.  

Includes:

  • Coordination and collection of biopsy tissue from clinical unit

Biopsy Processing Only charge:
Overnight fixation and transfer of biopsy tissue to ethanol.

Additional Charges:

  • External shipping
  • Blood processing 
  • Tissue Prep Kit (if no kit is provided) 
  • FFPE block generation
One-hour Delivery Courier Service   Courier services for rush requests or large orders that do not fit in a standard courier cooler. Services billed at One Hour Delivery rate to requesting lab.
Tissue Preparation – FFPE block

All FFPE blocks generated by histology are subject to an additional fee at the rate set by the clinical histology department.
Biofluid Processing: Amniotic Fluid, CFS, Urine, Saliva + Serum or Plasma Processing

Routine centrifugation of bio-fluids with aliquoting of supernatant and cell pellet isolation.  Up to 10 aliquots.

Additional Charges:

  • Double spins, extra steps, or requested additives built into the processing protocol will instead be charged the “Additional prep step” charge
  • External shipping
PBMC Processing  

PBMC processing (from CPT or standard blood collection tubes) includes isolated PBMCs, and plasma generated during PBMC processing. 

Includes:

  • Sample hand-off and intercampus courier services
  • Freezing in Mr. Frosty containers 

Additional fees apply:

  • If greater than 40mL of blood is provided, the PBMC Processing rate will be charged twice.
Aliquoting Only 

Transfer of unprocessed blood or bio-fluids into storage tubes (cryovials etc). No other processing.
Additional Prep Step   This fee is for all additional steps requested in the protocol (Additional centrifugation, wash, or preparation. Routine centrifugation with 11 aliquots or more).
RNA or DNA Extraction   Extraction of DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue, frozen tissue blood and body fluids.  Our protocols utilize commercially available kits and methods have been further optimized in house. DNA & RNA quantitation via Nanodrop. Sample preparation, specialty kits, small runs and custom methods are subject to additional fees.
Biospecimen Inventory Management and Storage  

Long term storage at the Mt Zion freezer farm is charged at a per box rate. Note: Tall boxes will be charged as two boxes.

-80C temperature storage:

Long term sample storage and inventory management services at the Mt Zion freezer farm billed per box.  All samples are logged into online inventory management to track storage location, current inventory and sample distribution.  Freezers undergo annual preventative maintenance and temperatures are monitored and recorded 24/7.

LN2 temperature storage:

Long term sample storage and inventory management services at the Mt Zion freezer farm billed per box.  All samples are logged into online inventory management to track storage location, current inventory and sample distribution.  Vapor phase LN2 tank temperatures are monitored and recorded 24/7.
Specimen Concierge   Inter-campus courier service for samples not processed by BSPL. Courier services are included with all samples processed by BSPL. *Commercial courier fees not included
Technician Time Hourly  

Special processing requests are billed at our blended hourly rate in 15-minute increments.

Examples include:

  • Generation of manifests for studies (only for samples processed in outside labs)
  • Data abstraction/chart reviews
  • Creation of stock solutions 
  • Whole Blood stimulations
Control Tissue Collection or Formalin Fixed Remnant Collection  

A BSPL Pathology Assistant will collect formalin-fixed control tissue from the Pathology department.

*Note: If researchers request fresh control tissue, they will be charged for the surgical collection package due to the increased work and coordination required.
Tissue Preparation Set Add-on charge for surgical tissue and biopsy collections when BSPL must provide tubes, media, OCT molds, etc.
After-hours sample processing or Custom processing Routine centrifugation of bio-fluids. After business hours Monday through Friday.
After-hours surgical collection Collection of surgical tissue after 5:30pm Monday - Friday. Subject to BSPL PA availability.
Send out only Accessioning and preparation of sample for shipment. No other processing.
Shipment, ambient or cold Shipment at ambient, refrigerated and/or frozen temperatures
Short Term Sample storage, freezer or refrigerator Short term sample storage and inventory management services in the processing laboratories billed per sample.  All samples are logged into online inventory management to track storage location, current inventory and sample distribution.  Freezers undergo annual preventative maintenance and temperatures are monitored and recorded 24/7.

All services are invoiced monthly through the iLab system.