Access to biological samples

If you have a research idea involving the use of biological samples you can contact the Coordinating Centre at mail@nationalbiobank.dk and ask for guidance. The Centre will help investigate whether the DNB holds the samples (type, number, quantity…) necessary for your project.

The quantity limit is normally set to 100 μl serum/plasma or 1 μg DNA. The Centre will guide you through the application procedure, and may suggest relevant collaborators for your project.   

Prior to sending your project application to the DNB, your project must be approved by a Danish Research Ethics Committee.

Researchers from abroad or Danish and foreign companies collaborating with a Danish institution responsible for data, either as part of a public research institution or an established non-commercial research and analysis environment, may gain access to samples from the DNB.

The DNB can only disclose samples to you once you have obtained permission to handle personal data at your institution. Thus, you need to have your project approved with the “Fortegnelse” at your research institution.

Once you have obtained the necessary approvals, please send your DNB application to the DNB Coordinating Centre. Download the DNB application form here or from the Danish Health Data Authority website (sundhedsdatastyrelsen.dk).

The application must contain a project description as well as a precise description (type, number, quantity…) of the samples you apply for. Please attach the application as well as the approval from both the Research Ethics Committee and your institution ("Fortegnelsen") when you submit the DNB application.

If the biological samples applied for are located in external biobanks, the Coordinating Centre can guide you to the correct point of contact.

The Coordinating Centre will prepare all incoming applications for assessment by the Scientific Board (DNB Indstillingsudvalg).

During the preparatory procedure the Coordinating Centre will make sure that all documents (project descriptions, applications and approvals) are aligned when it comes to project title, time period, number of samples, etc.

The DNB Scientific Board evaluates applications in the order received and responds no later than one month from receipt of a complete application.

The Board consists of:

• 2 representatives from Statens Serum Institut, including the chairman,

• 1 representative from the Danish Council for Independent Research | Medical Sciences

• 1 representative from the Danish Regions

• 1 representative from the Danish Patients organisation

In addition to the DNB Scientific Board, SSI also has special committees that evaluate requests for samples from specific collections, e.g. the PKU cards collection.

If the research project is approved by the Scientific Board, The Coordinating Centre applies to the Danish Data Protection Agency (Datatilsynet) for approval to hand out biological samples to the researcher.

An agreement on the terms for sample retrieval and handling is made by the Coordinating Centre and the researcher responsible for the project. The samples are retrieved and handed out.

In some cases, it will also be possible to have analyses carried out at SSI based laboratories. In this case, data alone will be handed over to you as a researcher once the necessary paperwork has been completed.