The UK DNA Banking Network

The UK DNA Banking Network (UDBN at www.dna-network.ac.uk) manages data and sample collections for common human diseases. High quality management is essential for genetic epidemiology. It saves time and money; allows UK scientists access to these valuable resources; and allows the gathering together of the large series that are now essential to find genes underlying common diseases. Already six of the collections have been used in this way with >6 billion genetic variants tested in >12,000 samples. Round the world, genetic epidemiologists are trying to tackle the huge logistic problems associated with these numbers. UDBN has solved most of them. No other nation has yet got this sort of infrastructure. We now plan to speed up the process of making collections for more diseases so that more genes will be found quicker and cheaper. We want to see UDBN serve the needs of all collectors - not only those funded by MRC. We also want to ensure that the management we provide remains at the cutting edge of robotics and informatics. Our current collections are in Coronary Artery Disease; Colorectal cancer; Glomerulonephritis; Parkinson‘s Disease; Asthma; Eczema; Type 2 Diabetes; Breast Cancer; Hypertension; Multiple Sclerosis; Alzheimer‘s Disease; Macular Degeneration; Unipolar Depression.

A national community resource has been created for DNA sample and data management to support UK scientists investigating genetic risk factors in 13 high impact diseases. The resource - the UK DNA Banking Network - comprises ISO 2001 facilities in CIGMR (Manchester) and ECACC (Salisbury) for managing DNA and cell samples respectively. The facilities make extensive use of robotics supported by LIMS. The Network has a highly functional website that provides a ?Collaboration Service? akin to a dating agency for collaboration. This service involves linking of CIGMR and ECACC LIMS with collectors? phenotype databases. UDBN collections are being analysed in high density genome wide association and other studies. This community resource is the most advanced of its kind.

UDBN seeks renewed support to retain this world-leading position. Support will allow us to promote wider use of the samples; to sustain the Network; to maintain its infrastructure; to complete the data management infrastructure; to roll out the management capabilities for other human disease collections (including clinical trials); massively to save costs to all funding bodies planning to support new collections; to adapt UDBN?s organisation as links to other funders grow; to test revenue streams for UDBN that will ensure cost-effective use of resources and to implement a programme of research and development. This programme will achieve wider harmonisation of DNA sample management processes; will conserve irreplaceable genomic DNA samples; will facilitate DNA sample accrual from rarer diseases or sub-types (from wax blocks); and will facilitate accrual of further sub-cellular fractions (RNA) for high throughput analysis.