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Barts BioResource

About

The Barts BioResource is a research, audit and educational health resource sponsored by Barts Health NHS Trust (REC reference 14 / EE / 0007). It comprises a database of patient data and a biobank of blood, saliva, swabs, urine, faeces and/or soft/solid tissue samples. Access to the Barts BioResource is governed by a formal approval procedure. The Barts BioResource currently has Data Security Privacy Toolkit (DSPT) certification. All Barts BioResource participants have provided informed written consent to participate and have the option of withdrawing consent.

The purpose of the Barts BioResource is to allow research into health and diseases. The Barts BioResource is a project that is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Barts Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which is part of the National Health Service (NHS). The Barts BioResource is very valuable because it helps us to find new ways of identifying, treating and preventing diseases and improving the health of patients now and in the future.

Processing involved

The Barts BioResource, as a biobank, is used for education, research and commercial purposes. Recruitment into the Barts BioResource is on an explicit consent basis, is ongoing, and currently comprises in excess of 23,400 subjects.

The activities that underpin this are:

  • Taking written informed consent for entry into the BioResource
  • Obtaining, storing and processing health data
  • Obtaining, processing and storing biological samples

The processing of the health data includes, but is not limited to, data storage, de-identification, curation and analysis. It involves the transfer of identified data securely (primarily within and using Barts Health NHS Trust systems).

Having successfully delivered its aims and objectives as a cardiovascular-focused National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit (NIHR BRU) for a decade (2007-2017), the partnership between Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London was awarded ~£6.5m and the prestigious status as a NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) in 2016; the Barts BRC went live in April 2017.

The Barts BRC continues the work of the successful BRU with particular emphasis on world-leading translational genomics relating to inherited common and rare disorders and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular devices and innovative trials and continues to enjoy the support of a series of ‘cross-cutting’ themes encapsulated within the Barts BioResource.

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