Access to well characterized & documented biological samples to explore host-pathogen interactions
We aim at providing characterized and documented microorganisms, preclinical and clinical samples to support your research in life sciences and biotechnology.
These biological samples may be part of our own biobank or collected on purpose within the frame of prospective pre-clinical or clinical studies for the generation of reliable technological innovations & scientific results.
Access to microorganism and (pre)clinical samples via different means
To stimulate innovation and meet patient’s needs, we provide an access to high-quality biological material from:
Regulatory
We hold a solid expertise with regulatory requirements involving human samples and have established a strong, global clinical network in the field of infectious diseases. We promote implementation and act as a coordinator of prospective interventional and non-interventional clinical studies (Health Product Excepted) to collect samples adapted to specific patients selection criteria, sampling methods and storage constraints specifications.
Have a look at our Clinical Operations technologie here.
Samples of BIOASTER’s biological repository include:
- species of clinical isolates that are identified on WHO priority list of pathogens, noteworthy Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae,
- microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) isolated from clinical specimens collected throughout our retrospective or prospective studies from various biological matrix (Urine, blood cultures, BAL, stools) but also from medical devices (catheter, prosthesis…) and are characterized for antibiotic susceptibility,
- in house transformed bioluminescent or fluorescent bacterial microorganisms,
- a variety of commensal bacterial strains isolated from fecal samples collected from healthy volunteers and identified through partial 16S rRNA-encoding gene sequencing.
Repositories within BIOASTER network
According to your needs, we are able to search relevant existing samples among worldwide biobanks and biorepositories of our international network. Our team takes care of the regulatory procedures including sample importation authorization.
Microorganism isolation, identification & characterization
We provide end-to-end solutions to characterize a microorganism including:
- microbe selection and isolation from complex biological matrix,
- cultivation of microorganisms in a O2 controlled environment (aerobic or anaerobic conditions) using customized and specific media in BSL2 and BSL3 biosafety laboratories,
- microbial identification by biochemical and molecular analysis using 16S gene or full genome sequencing,
- phenotyping and virulence factor assessment,
- antibiotic susceptibility/resistance assessment.
Biobanking & data management
We offer a short-and long-term storage of the high-value biological materials collected in our projects to make possible future research, in compliance with ethical principles, regulatory and legal constraints respect. Our collections are linked to securized and reliable database associating clinical information and set of biological data. We provide an efficient samples tracking solution thanks to our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), within high quality standard ISO9001 environment.
Explore host-microorganism interactions
Host-pathogen or microbiome interactions are vital to the understanding of infectious diseases and how such interactions can be exploited for new treatments and preventions. This involves the investigation and analysis of the different stages of infection, explore pathogen infection mechanisms.
- Here are some solutions we may apply within the frame of the development of your novel drugs, vaccines and other therapeutics:
- Involve an unique collection of ESKAPE bioluminescent/fluorescent bacteria in preclinical models that recapitulate key features of clinical infection (in regard to pathogen tropism and route of infection).
- Next Generation Sequencing to address whether the host microbiome influences immunity, vaccine efficacy, or therapy response, as well as study the effects of both pathogen and host gene expression and how this influences host response to a disease or therapy.
- In vivo characterization/longitudinal monitoring of host pathogen interactions (i.e.: physiopathology of infections and host immune response) using small animal imaging systems such as computed tomography.
- Ex vivo tissue analyses through advanced histopathology combined to OMICs (i.e.: proteins/metabolites).
- From targeted to multi-omic approaches to perform a functional analysis of host, pathogen/microbiote and correlate findings to host response.
- In vivo immunodulatory effects assessment through integrated OMICs and high content immunomonitoring solutions.
- Cellular and molecular characterization of the host immune response during infection.
- Characterization of the pathogen-specific cells responses and the protective immune response after infection.