Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Human Biospecimens Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


FAQs

Customer Verification

 
 

Only verified customers are able to order human biospecimens. To become a verified customer you have to sign up for an account with your business contact details at www.centralbiohub.de. After proceeding through our verification process, you may buy biological specimens on our website.

 

General FAQs

 

A human biological specimen can be any material that originates from a human. It can be solid, such as a tumor or skin sample, or liquid, such as blood, plasma or urine. Human biological specimens are also referred to as biosamples, biological specimens, human specimens, clinical research samples and biomaterials. Central BioHub is the largest online marketplace of human biospecimens. It has more than 250,000+ active human biological samples as standardized units.
A biorepository or biobank is a facility that collects, stores, and dispenses biospecimens. It contains individual biological samples and their associated data. At Central BioHub, our supplier’s samples are kept in industrial freezers at the correct temperature and protective environment to ensure longevity and perfect preservation of the samples.
Researchers, Scientists or Businesses within academia, the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) industry, and pharmaceutical or biomedical CROs can all order our samples. Central BioHub conducts a Buyer authentication process before fulfilling each order.
Central BioHub is an online marketplace that connects scientists with biospecimen suppliers across the world. Our endeavour is to make the biospecimens procurement process easy, fast and compliant.
  • After successful customer verification, you can search, filter and select biospecimens you are interested in.
  • Transfer the items to your cart by clicking on the shopping cart icon. Search filters can be stored for frequent database searches.
  • By clicking on Order now, you will be forwarded to the ordering process. Shipping details can be checked and logistics partners can be selected with the option to use your in-house account.
  • After clicking on Buy now, you will receive an order confirmation via email.
Yes, short-term reservations are possible in the event that an internal agreement or approval is required in the client's company. The reservation is valid for 14 days and expires automatically if no order is generated. No costs will be charged.
We offer payments via credit card, PayPal, bank transfer or prepayment. The method can be chosen in the ordering process. Payment details can be stored for convenient and faster order processes. Central BioHub reserves the right to charge a prepayment for selected orders.

Sample Specification FAQs

Storage temperatures of all biosamples are specified in degrees Celsius.
Most of our specimen matrices require a shipment on dry ice. A WarmMark time and temperature indicator will be included in your shipment. It monitors the temperature and alarms in case a rise in temperature above –18 °C was detected.
The date is noted according to the following scheme: dd/mm/yyyy
  • dd - two-digit day of the month, e.g. 21
  • mm - two-digit month, e.g. 08
  • yyyy - four-digit year, e.g. 2017
The height of a donor is given in centimetres (cm).
The weight of a donor is given in kilogram (kg).
The weight of a donor is given in kilogram (kg).
The trimesters of pregnancy are divided as followed:
  • 1st trimester: week 1 - 12
  • 2nd trimester: week 13 - 27
  • 3rd trimester: week 28 - 42
We distinguish the smoking status as followed:
  • yes
  • no
  • not specified
  • non-smoker
  • former smoker
  • moderate smoker
  • smoker
  • heavy smoker
Brand names of drugs vary widely from country to country. Therefore, we aim to state the generic drug name, For example: insulin or vancomycin. For further questions please contact the Central BioHub team.
The preanalytical phase comprises all administrative and practical processes between the patient and the analysis result. The phase includes the indication, informing and identifying of the patient as well as the procedure for collection, handling and processing of the test material before analysis.
You can find information about influencing factors such as the specimen processing or the state of the patient (e.g. sobriety, general condition). If available, we offer the Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC), which identifies and records the main preanalytical factors (sample and primary container type, periods of cold and warm ischemia, subsequent handling steps including speed and temperature of centrifugation, final storage temperature).
The collection system specifies what kind of tube was used for the collection of the biospecimens.
One freeze and thaw cycle means a cold stored sample was thawed once and then refrozen.
We distinguish the sample condition as following:
  • perfect
  • slightly haemolytic
  • strong haemolytic
  • haemolytic
  • slightly lipemic
  • strong lipemic
  • lipemic
  • slightly turbid
  • strongly turbid
  • turbid
  • icteric
The information “Measured in” is important for multi-matrix samples. To give an example, the information glucose measured in serum is necessary for a triple sample consisting of plasma, serum and urine. Otherwise, it would not be apparent if the glucose concentration was measured in serum or urine.
The information “Results taken from” relates to clinical courses. It serves to differ, whether the given results are taken directly from a sample or taken from a former sample collection from the same donor.

Compliance Regulations FAQs

Our clients are medical diagnostics firms, academic research institutes or pharmaceutical companies. All products sold through www.centralbiohub.de are B2B only. As a private individual, it is not permitted to purchase products from Central BioHub.
Only verified customers are entitled to order biosamples. Each customer is individually assessed for their qualification to purchase and handle human biospecimens. For this purpose, new customers are required to complete a form. Please understand that we won't process orders without completed customer verification.
Please click on the login button in the upper right corner on www.centralbiohub.com. Select "create a new account" and enter your business email address followed by your chosen password. Please pay attention to the security requirements for the credentials. If you agree to the Terms & Conditions and the Privacy Statement, tick the box and submit by clicking on Create Account. You will receive a confirmation link to the address you entered. In your Customer Panel you can enter additional details that are mandatory for the order process. In your personal dashboard, you can download the self-disclosure questionnaire and submit it to info@centralbiohub.com after completing it.
In some instances, it may take up to three days for the questionnaire to be processed by the Compliance Department. Please make sure to fill all necessary information, including the legal entity of your company and VAT-ID, if applicable. You are welcome to check the current processing status by contacting info@centralbiohub.com. If there are any follow-up questions, we will get in touch with you.
Our FAQ section is regularly updated to ensure that you have access to the latest and most accurate information.
Absolutely! We value your input. If you have a question that you believe should be included in our FAQ section, please feel free to contact our customer support team with your suggestion. We appreciate your help in making our FAQ comprehensive.
To search for biospecimens, use the search bar on our main page to enter your criteria like matrix, parameter, or diagnosis. You can refine your search using various filters. For a step-by-step guide, watch our video tutorial here - https://youtu.be/k4zQhnC-5mY
All our samples are sourced from authenticated and trusted suppliers. Central BioHub always ensures to provide high quality biospecimens that are verified and accompanied by their clinical and laboratory data.