Biobanking programs, in which bodily fluid and tissue samples are collected, tracked, and studied, are a valuable resource for translational research.

Translational Research Initiative in the Department of Medicine (TRIDOM) is a large-scale biobanking protocol started in 2005. In this program, consented patients who are scheduled for a standard-of-care blood draw have samples of DNA, plasma, and serum stored with TRIDOM and made available for research.

Developed under the direction of Nancy Cox, PhD, this collection has allowed investigators to link clinical information with biological samples in order to study a broad range of genomic and proteomic biomarkers. TRIDOM samples are used by researchers to develop and test hypotheses about the ways that genes can predispose individuals to disease, modify disease, and interact with environmental factors. In the long term, the TRIDOM team intends to establish a citywide resource combining TRIDOM with other local biobanks to enable even larger studies.

The CRI’s applications development team contributed to this valuable translational research resource by leading a rewrite of the TRIDOM database that maintains consent and sample information and generates operational reports. In partnership with LabVantage, which makes the Human Tissue Resource Center’s biobanking software, the CRI also created an automated feed to the TRIDOM database. To date, TRIDOM has enrolled and banked samples for nearly 11,000 and 7,000 patients respectively.