Duke University's Center for Human Genetics DNA Bank discovers lab labeling solution that can take the cold.

Brady-When Performance Matters Most


Duke University’s Center for Human Genetics DNA Bank discovers lab labeling solution that can take the cold.

The DNA Bank and Tissue Repository at the Center for Human Genetics (CHG) is one of the oldest and largest DNA banks in the United States, processing blood and tissue samples for CHG researchers as well as investigators nationally and worldwide. The DNA Bank recently upgraded their lab labeling system to ensure the long-term integrity of samples and to meet their needs for barcode tracking and laboratory information management.

The DNA Bank currently contains samples for 127,500 individuals, featuring more than 65,000 cell lines. Every day, the Bank extracts and stores DNA from samples that arrive from across the country. Because many samples are delivered and stored frozen, new labels need to adhere to frozen vials and withstand -80º F or even liquid nitrogen storage without peeling, cracking, or falling off. Their lab labeling system must also be flexible and expandable enough to integrate seamlessly with the Bank’s existing Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Working with the local Brady distributor and Duke lab staff, Brady was able to provide a total lab labeling solution offering durable labels, more customized labeling options, faster label printing, and software that integrates the label design and database functions. This complete Brady solution is easy for the lab staff to use, speeding the creation and printing of labels and allowing lab staff to customize labels to meet their expanding database management needs.

Brady’s FreezerBondzTM  Thermal Transfer Printable Labels, when used as specified, help ensure that no valuable DNA data is lost due to missing or damaged labels. According to David Layfield, the Bank Manager at the DNA Bank, Brady FreezerBondz labels are well worth the investment in terms of time and samples saved: “Of all the labeling systems we’ve tested, only the Brady labels were able to withstand long-term storage at -80º.” The lab staff at the DNA bank uses other Brady labels for more standard 4º F sample storage, giving them the performance they need within their budget.

The Bank’s labeling needs range from a few hundred samples per study to as many as 5,000. To meet these needs, Duke lab staff tested their current printer against the Brady 300MVP PlusTM  Thermal Transfer Printer. The results were enough to convince them to make the switch — the Brady 300MVP Plus printer was faster by far, allowing them to print more labels in less time to better meet their peak time constraints.

Layfield has found that the most flexible part of the Brady solution is also the most invisible — the software. Using BradySoftTM  Sentinel S/5 Enterprise Software, the DNA Bank is able to seamlessly integrate the vast amount of information in their LIMS with the BradySoft program’s user-friendly label design tools. BradySoft software receives data from the LIMS and turns it into text and bar codes. The BradySoft program is able to create any type of linear or 2D bar code, as well formatting and printing the label information to the appropriate label size.

Sentinel S/5 Enterprise Software integrates the BradySoft labeling software with the LIMS to allow the DNA Bank to quickly create new label formats — while also allowing other users to access and print labels from the LIMS. This eliminates the need for LIMS programming for new labels, saving the Bank time and money when label changes are needed. The software also allows users to print from the BradySoft interface while they are doing work outside the LIMS. According to Layfield, “This software lets my staff create new label formats as we need them, with minimal training and minimal effort.”

The new system will help tremendously as the DNA Bank undertakes an inventory of its entire facility, a process that is currently underway. Once the inventory is completed, the Bank will be able to update information and re-label samples as needed, ensuring the integrity of their samples for decades to come. They also hope to incorporate 2D barcoding into their labeling process. In conjunction with the Code ReaderTM  3 Bar Code Scanner, this will help them track more efficiently.

In a field where sample integrity is essential and time is critical, Layfield and his staff have found that the Brady solution helps the DNA Bank fulfill its mission “to continue to provide genetic sample processing and storage that sets the national standard for such facilities.”


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