Who can use the CoBi?
The resources of the CoBi are open to bona fide scientists, undertaking blood cancer-related research that is of public interest and in compliance with the research framework of the CoBi. Scientists from academia, governmental institutions and other non-profit companies may use CoBi resources.
Research Framework
Access to CoBi samples and data is available for all bona fide researchers for any type of blood cancer-related research. The research must be of public interest, without any preferential or exclusive access policy and must be in compliance with the Research Framework of the CoBi. The objectives of the CoBi according to the Research Framework are:
- To serve as a resource for research projects intended to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of blood cancer diseases;
- To conduct research aiming to improve the outcome of haematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT);
- To improve and extend donor selection for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In this context the biobank is intended to be used to optimize the typing panel by using modern sequencing techniques and thus, improving donor selection algorithms.
We would like to note that due to the limited amount of available biomaterial, applications for samples require an explicit scientific value listed in the Access Policy.
CoBi Resources
CoBi provides access to samples (genomic DNA, viable cells and plasma) as well as health-related data.
Currently CoBi contains 26,600 DNA samples, 2,210 matched patient-donor-samples, as well as 25,500 blood samples (Status: August 2023). Genomic DNA may be provided with the following quantities per sample: 100, 500 or 1000 ng in a volume of 50 microliters.
Access Policy
Please be aware that research applications must be in accordance with the Research Framework of the CoBi. Applications can be either submitted via participating Transplantation Centres or DKMS Group gGmbH using an Email request to contact@cobi-biobank.com including our Access Application Form.
After the Email request a link will be provided where the CoBi support and the Principle Investigators perform a Feasibility Check for the quantity of samples within the biobank.
Within an approval process all applications will be reviewed by CoBi support in terms of alignment with Research Framwork of CoBi, corresponding vote of the Ethical Review Committee and completeness of documents (Access Application Form). The scientific merit of the application may be evaluated by the Scientific Committee.
After a successful review process a transfer agreement will have to be signed.
For detailed information please download the CoBi Access Policy.
Costs
Costs depend on the type of request (samples and/or data). There is no fee for the preliminary application process and data extraction. CoBi may charge for costs within the scope of sample requests (please refer to CoBi Access Policy). These cover the sample export process executed by a sample administrator, working hours and shipping costs. Charge depends on the extent of samples requested, shipment quality and country of destination.
Return of Data
At the end of the research project, we may ask you to return derived data or other results so that we can integrate these results back into the CoBi database. Details will be regulated within a specified transfer agreement with the applicant Principle Investigator.
How do I return results?
Your final analysis data should be returned in the analytical format you have used during your research project and must include the samples and/or data IDs originally supplied by the CoBi. We would appreciate files to be returned in CSV format. Please get in touch if other data formats are used. All data fields should be clearly named and labelled. If necessary, text files should be provided with detailed information on the contents of data-panels.
More details will be provided by the CoBi Team, if appropriate.
What are analysis data and why do we request it?
Analysis data are all data-panels generated during your research project using CoBi data. This, in general, incorporates your final working dataset including newly generated data-panels and the analytical dataset as well as assay results (if applicable), analyses from existing data, the intermediates of those derived datasets and sequencing files (raw data).
Our objective for collecting all analysis data is to create a platform for future research projects. CoBi is intended to be able to: (i) incorporate derived data-panels from your analysis data into the central database that may be of use to others; (ii) make your results available to researchers worldwide, in a manner that analysis data can be reviewed through a process of replication.
What additional information should be provided?
Besides the analysis data a description of the methods used should be provided (e.g. array panel, sequencing machine). These information will be made publicly available as related documentation to the derived data-panels of interest. This documentation should be sufficiently detailed to allow other researchers to follow-up how the data was generated.
Wherever possible, the details of used algorithms or software for the generation of results should be provided in detail to allow other researchers to follow-up how the data was generated and to replicate findings.
The CoBi is aware that there may be reasonable limitations on the ability to provide analytical tools (e.g. confidential algorithm) as part of the analysis data.
In this event we would like you to carefully consider whether you are able to provide appropriate assistance to researchers who may contact you.
How will my results data be used?
The CoBi will not audit your results for quality control reasons. Instead, data will be made publicly available for other researchers to review. However, we will check the provided results data to ensure that it is effectively a “complete set” and that explanatory documentation is sufficient. Full acknowledgements of data origin will be provided. Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please contact the CoBi Team.
Whom do I have to contact when?
Please notify the CoBi Team of any manuscripts accepted for publication within the first year of your project. 12 months after data release the CoBi Team will contact you to complete a project update report. The report should also include pending publications and anticipated date of returning results.
