One of the many services offered by the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is the collection of biospecimens for research purposes—known as the biobanking resources. Biospecimens are tissues, blood and bodily fluids donated by patients.
Together, these samples serve a specific, but little-known purpose. Once stored, they constitute a database of diseases or conditions that are available for research. Researchers can access specific tissue samples, which provide a valuable trove of information toward the development of new treatments.
