Overview
The BSIP team is responsible for the implementation, maintenance, and support of biospecimen informatics systems for ARS and the research enterprise. BSIP also provides consultation services to support high-quality capture and storage of research-related biospecimen data.
The program’s centrally managed tools, MBioLIMS and BioCatalyst, utilize industry-standard best practices that adhere to UCSF privacy, security, and data storage policies. Inquiries about BSIP’s products and services can be directed to [email protected].
MBioLIMS
MBioLIMS is a vendor-provided biobanking specimen management system for tracking and documenting the biospecimen lifecycle at UCSF and is currently used to manage biospecimen data for 150+ studies and 50+ PIs. A basic integration with APeX links demographic data to biospecimen data in the system. The BSIP team consulting resources focus on configuring systems to meet specific research lab needs and migrating legacy data from old systems to MBioLIMS.
BioCatalyst
A first-of-its kind biospecimen search engine developed at UCSF! Via system integrations and an honest broker operational model, BioCatalyst ties de-identified sample data to clinical and other data. The system is currently integrated with REDCap, with plans to integrate with MBioLIMS in 2024. In addition to search engine and data aggregation capabilities, BioCatalyst has functionality that allows authorized users to review other departments' sample information and request information on those samples.