CONTACT:
Alejandra Gutierrez, PhD
UMB Biobank Core Director
University of Maryland Medicine
Program for Personalized and Genomic Medicine
LOCATION:
HSF-III Building
Room 4173
670 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
HOURS:
Monday through Friday
8:00am - 4:00pm
PHONE:
Office: 410-706-8968
SERVICES
The UMB BioBank delivers secure, high-performance biospecimen storage and laboratory services tailored to the needs of academic research.
Consultation Services
The UMB Biobank provides comprehensive consultation services to support investigators throughout the lifecycle of their research projects.
We help researchers determine optimal collection and processing approaches, design compliant workflows, and leverage OpenSpecimen for metadata and data integration. Whether you are developing a new study, expanding an ongoing project, or aligning your research with biobanking best practices, our consultations offer clear, practical guidance that strengthens scientific rigor, enhances reproducibility, and accelerates the path from concept to discovery.
To schedule a consultation, please contact Dr. Gutierrez
Secure Biospecimen Storage
Our on-site facilities are designed to ensure specimen integrity and long-term reliability through:
✓ 24/7 environmental monitoring
✓ Backup power systems to prevent temperature disruptions
✓ Multiple temperature zones: ambient, refrigerated, frozen, ultra-low, and liquid nitrogen
✓ Restricted access controls, and alarm systems
✓ Chain-of-custody protocols and disaster recovery planning
✓ Staff training in biospecimen security and regulatory compliance, ensuring consistent handling and protection of sensitive materials
Specimen Management
Our inventory is managed through OpenSpecimen, a powerful biospecimen tracking platform that enables real-time inventory control, barcode-based sample identification, and detailed metadata capture. It supports audit trails for compliance and integrates seamlessly with laboratory workflows to streamline sample retrieval and usage.
Laboratory Services
Our expert team supports research with:
- Blood processing
- DNA extraction and banking for different sample types (blood, PBMC, saliva, swab, etc.)
- Sample aliquoting
- Normalization, and plating
These services ensure high-quality, reproducible data generation while streamlining research operations.
👉 Major Instrumentation
How to Request Service
Submit Requests Through iLab
Useful information for: