The NIGMS Repository was well-represented at the annual conference for the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) in Baltimore, MD this past November. AMP is a not-for-profit scientific organization that facilitates the advancement of molecular biology and genomic medicine research in order to improve healthcare for patients. The Coriell Institute exhibited a booth at the annual exposition, and the Principal Investigator of the NIGMS Repository, Dr. Deborah Requesens, gave remarks at a panel preceding the conference. Dr. Requesens was invited to speak at the 2019 AMP Reference Material Forum, a day-long meeting that focused on the importance of experimental standards in genetic research, for quality control, validation, and proficiency measures. Other speakers at this event represented organizations including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute for Standards and Technologies, as well as many research institutions.
Dr. Requesens spoke about the high-quality biospecimens at the Coriell Biobank available for scientists to develop reference materials for research. “The NIGMS Repository proudly stores and distributes well-characterized cell lines and DNA from diverse collections, that can be used as standards and validations for a wide range of studies”, says Dr. Requesens.
Coriell has been trusted to supply reference samples for large-scale collaborative projects, including the Genetic Testing Reference Material Coordination Program, NIST’s Standard Reference Materials, and more recently, the All of Us Research Program. “It is crucial for us to ensure that the resources that we provide to researchers are of the highest quality, so they can serve as a reliable source for biological references for scientists around the world.”
