Access to biological material from MoBa

Information about biological material and retrieval

The applicant must become acquainted with the biological material before submitting the application.

• Sample overview of the MoBa biobank (website)

The amount of biological material in the biobank is limited. There are thereforehus high requirements for scientific quality for projects planning to use material from MoBa. 

• New biological materials will not be provided if there already is data (including analysis results) that can be used to study the research question(s).
• The method of analysis applied must use the lowest possible sample volume, and should measure several components per sample to maximise the utilisation of the biological material.
• Only the needed volume of material will be provided.

Delivery of biological material and price

• Retrieval of biological material

Information about sampling and analyses

• A calculation of statistical power in the analysis must be performed by the project. This must be made available for MoBa upon request.
• Control groups are chosen randomly unless there is good reason why random controls are not sufficient for the planned analysis. MoBa can assist in the selection of random control groups.
• The MoBa material must be suitable for the chosen method of analysis. 
• For some analyses MoBa will set requirements, for example for the type of chip used in methylation analyses. This is so that results from different projects can be used together/compiled.

Requirements for the laboratory 

Currently, MoBa does not allow biological materials to be sent to countries outside the EU/EEA. Laboratories that are subject to European legislation (GRPR) must therefore be used. The applicant / PI must enter into necessary agreements with the laboratory where the samples are to be analysed. 

The laboratory must undertake to and perform the work in accordance with the terms set out in the MTA entered into between MoBa and the project. The laboratory must guarantee to comply with and perform any and all analyses in accordance with the following conditions and terms.

• Terms and conditions 

After analysis of biological samples

Once the samples have been analysed, the results and the completed analysis report must be returned to MoBa. Thereafter, the questionnaire data and linkage keys will be handed out in dialogue with the data manager. More information about returning and deleting data can be found here: The return of results, data and generated variables from research projects to MoBa 

Contact information

Case manager in MoBa (MoBaadm@fhi.no):

• General questions about the application process

Data manager in MoBa (MorBarnData@fhi.no):

• Questions related to what data and variables are available in MoBa
• Questions about linkage to other data sources

Biobank (Biobank-BioRetrieval@fhi.no):

• Questions about biological materials