Driving innovation and discovery through collaboration to address global challenges at UHN biospecimen services

Background: Biobanks are crucial in the understanding of COVID-19 risk factors, mechanisms of infection, and for the development of vaccines and potential treatments. By providing high-quality biospecimens and associated clinical data, biobanks enable researchers to combat the existing global crisis as well as prevent future outbreaks. Methods: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UHN Biospecimen Services assembled a collaborative task force comprised of clinicians, biobank experts in biospecimen management and regulatory compliance, quality assurance, technology, pathology, infectious diseases, and clinical research. With this highly skilled group of experts, UHN Biospecimen Services helped build and support a specialized biorepository for all COVID-19 related research initiatives across University Health Network (UHN). Intricate inter-departmental and interinstitutional collaborations, complex logistics and versatility from multiple parties were crucial in the process of bringing this initiative to life. Results: A collaborative, centralized biorepository was developed, storing high-quality biospecimens from participants presenting with upper respiratory and COVID-19-like symptoms. Biospecimens have been collected from over 400 participants consented to the UHN COVID-19 Biobank since May 2020. Currently, over 18,000 derivatives from serialized collections are available for analyses, including: blood components, nasal swabs, urine and saliva. Discussion: By connecting and collaborating through biobanking, the UHN Biospecimen Services provides researchers and clinicians with essential resources that can be employed to better understand the virus' dynamics and develop effective life-saving countermeasures. We have adopted a holistic approach to research on COVID- 19 to support research interests in various cohorts and hope to continue to build this collaborative network and biorepository to fuel innovation and discovery and support research to fight and address emerging global health challenges.