UK Biobank
Lead Research Organisation:
UK Biobank
Abstract
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Technical Summary
The UK Biobank resource has been established primarily for the conduct of prospective studies investigating the relevance of a wide range of exposures to health outcomes that occur during long-term follow-up. By 2015, there will start to be sufficient numbers of incident cases of the commoner conditions to support extensive and powerful research into their determinants (although research related to conditions present at baseline has already started).
Hence, the chief emphasis for the past 5 years has been on preparing UK Biobank for effective use as a prospective resource by the widest possible range of researchers. This activity has included: developing resource access management systems; conducting repeat assessments in 20,000 participants; establishing record linkage for death, cancer and hospitalisation; piloting large-scale characterisation of commoner conditions; enhancing participant phenotyping; preparing for imaging assessments; and turning biological samples into genotypic and biomarker data to make the resource more accessible to researchers studying a wide range of different conditions.
During the next few years, it is intended to: review and streamline further the access systems; extend record linkage to primary care records and conduct direct participant follow-up (e.g. for cognitive function); implement large-scale characterisation of commoner conditions; pilot the imaging assessments and move forward to the main phase of imaging in 100,000 participants; make available genotypic and biomarker data for all 500,000 participants. Efforts will also be made to ensure that researchers from around the world are suitably well informed about these developments so that use of the resource increases substantially over the next few years.
Hence, the chief emphasis for the past 5 years has been on preparing UK Biobank for effective use as a prospective resource by the widest possible range of researchers. This activity has included: developing resource access management systems; conducting repeat assessments in 20,000 participants; establishing record linkage for death, cancer and hospitalisation; piloting large-scale characterisation of commoner conditions; enhancing participant phenotyping; preparing for imaging assessments; and turning biological samples into genotypic and biomarker data to make the resource more accessible to researchers studying a wide range of different conditions.
During the next few years, it is intended to: review and streamline further the access systems; extend record linkage to primary care records and conduct direct participant follow-up (e.g. for cognitive function); implement large-scale characterisation of commoner conditions; pilot the imaging assessments and move forward to the main phase of imaging in 100,000 participants; make available genotypic and biomarker data for all 500,000 participants. Efforts will also be made to ensure that researchers from around the world are suitably well informed about these developments so that use of the resource increases substantially over the next few years.
Organisations
- UK Biobank, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Institutes of Health, United States (Collaboration)
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Cardiff University, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Imperial College London, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- MRC Dementias Platform UK (Collaboration)
- German Cancer Research Center (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Rory Collins (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Abbood HM
(2018)
The link between ankylosing spondylitis and oral health conditions: two nested case-control studies using data of the UK Biobank.
in Journal of applied oral science : revista FOB
Adewoye A
(2018)
Human CCL3L1 copy number variation, gene expression, and the role of the CCL3L1-CCR5 axis in lung function
in Wellcome Open Research
Alfaro-Almagro F
(2018)
Image processing and Quality Control for the first 10,000 brain imaging datasets from UK Biobank.
in NeuroImage
Allen N
(2012)
UK Biobank: Current status and what it means for epidemiology
in Health Policy and Technology
Allen NE
(2014)
UK biobank data: come and get it.
in Science translational medicine
Allen R
(2017)
Genetic variants associated with susceptibility to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in people of European ancestry: a genome-wide association study
in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
Amaral AF
(2016)
Lower lung function associates with cessation of menstruation: UK Biobank data.
in The European respiratory journal
Amaral AFS
(2017)
Female Smokers Are at Greater Risk of Airflow Obstruction Than Male Smokers. UK Biobank.
in American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
Amoli MM
(2008)
EBV Immortalization of human B lymphocytes separated from small volumes of cryo-preserved whole blood.
in International journal of epidemiology
| Description | Extension to UK Biobank |
| Amount | £7,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2010 |
| End | 11/2015 |
| Title | UK Biobank resource |
| Description | A collection of baseline data, physical measures and biological samples from 500,000 members of the UK public aged between 40 and 69 years was made available for researchers to access in 2012. The biological samples are being processed to generate genetic data and biomarker data for all 500,000 study participants. Data on approx. 820,000 SNPs from across the genome will incorporated into the Resource and made publically available during 2015, together with a wide range of biomarkers, chosen to provide an accurate indication of participants' risks of developing a variety of health conditions. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The resource is open-access, meaning it is available to bona fide researchers from across the world to conduct research that is deemed to be in the public interest. This has led to significant contributions to knowledge of how to build very large research resources. It has also pushed policy on ethics and governance, research access and feedback of findings from measurements of volunteers. |
| URL | http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk |
| Title | UK Biobank sample archive |
| Description | The UK Biobank baseline recruitment has generated 15 million biological sample. These are stored in a state of the art sample processing and archiving facility in South Manchester. Samples are retrieved at a maximum rate of 1500 samples per day to extract DNA (for genotyping) and to assay biomarkers for all 500,000 study participants. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The knowledge and infrastructure involved in developing the sample resource is available to other research groups |
| Description | Dementia Platform UK |
| Organisation | MRC Dementias Platform UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | development of cognitive function tests |
| Collaborator Contribution | development of cognitive function tests |
| Impact | n/a |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | partner for data analysis |
| Collaborator Contribution | partner for data analysis |
| Impact | n/a |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | German Cancer Research Centre |
| Organisation | German Cancer Research Center |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | development of infectious disease assay panel |
| Collaborator Contribution | development of infectious disease assay panel |
| Impact | n/a |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Imperial College London |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | development of occupational health webQ |
| Collaborator Contribution | development of occupational health webQ |
| Impact | development of occupational health webQ |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | NIH Precision Medicine Initiative |
| Organisation | National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Member of steering committee |
| Collaborator Contribution | Taking forward US precision medicine programme |
| Impact | N/A |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | WTCHG |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Oxford Genomics Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | development of processing of genotyping data |
| Collaborator Contribution | development of processing of genotyping data |
| Impact | development of processing of genotyping data |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Title | Automated -80C archive |
| Description | Automated system for the storage and accurate retrieval of 10 million biological samples at -80C Also published as EP1639892 |
| IP Reference | US2006053825 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2006 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | None |
| Title | Automated blood processing platforms |
| Description | High throughput automation for procesing blood - developed with a local company. Given our intellecdtual input, we have agreed a revenue sharing deal with them. |
| IP Reference | WO2006037941 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2006 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | None |
| Company Name | UK Biocentre |
| Description | Provision of services to academic and commercial collaborators conducting studies involving human volunteers. Services are principally sample collection, processing, archiving and assay |
| Year Established | 2011 |
| Impact | First agreements in place - providing sample curation and archiving and processing of research samples collected from a clinical trial to Leukameia and Lymphoma Research |
| Website | http://www.ukbiocentre.com/ |
| Description | UK Biobank Annual Scientific Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Each year UK Biobank organises their annul scientific symposium for partcipants, scientists and funders. These events are used to inform participants about the work of the Biobank, and as a tool to encourage scientists to take part. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| URL | http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk |
| Description | UK Biobank public meetings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Inform participants of UKB and the way information is being used and to learn how they want the resource to develop. It resulted in requests for further information and taking part in enhancement studies. Presentations have taken place across the UK (and continue to do so): Edinburgh Nov 14 - 150 people Edinburgh Jan 15 - 300 people Manchester 4 events x 200 people at each 18 march, 22 april, 28 may, 22 september Nottingham 1 event - 200 people 12 nov 16 Leeds 1 event - 200 people 1 march 2016 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016 |
| Description | UKBiobank participant events - 2014 - 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | UKB Biobank participants regularly attend events aimed at informing them about the work being undertaken with their data. Usually, the events last a few hours and include an overview from the chief scientist and two talks from scientists that have used UKB data. From 2014 - 2018 over 2,500 participants have taken part in events in Edinburgh (2), Manchester (4), Nottingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle (3), Glasgow (2) and Reading. They are often over-subscribed and participants leave these events wishing to seek more information and support he programme in new ways (EG in imaging, genome sequencing) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
| URL | http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk |