Proposed Brain Bank Tariffs
Concept:
To implement a pricing system that is transparent and relatively easy to implement.
Administrative costs (including logging of request, database search, case retrieval,
liaison with researcher and courier) to be added to each order priced in increments £25 £50
Packaging £10 - £20 for most requests plus delivery (unless collection arranged)
Additional costs will be negotiated for more complex requests (e.g. particular stains or
sample extraction)
The main types of sample requested by researchers are unstained paraffin sections,
Type of sample
Cost £
1
Unstained paraffin section/slide
5
2
Unstained frozen section/slide
15
3
Frozen tissue sample
25
4
Sections from wet formalin fixed tissue
25
5
CSF
25
6
Paraffin block
50
unstained frozen sections, frozen tissue samples (and from the sudden death bank,
paraffin blocks).
Issues:
Accounting for BDR and non-BDR derived tissue,.
Ensuring MRC funded banks are not ‘double-funded’
Clear guidance
Effect upon demand
Acquisition of tissue for pilot studies
Cost increase for research applications
Case studies:
Nicholas Bray: Gene regulatory variation in the developing human brain and it’s role in
neuropsychiatric disorders (MR/L010674/1)
This work mainly uses frozen tissue samples for RNA work. Sample size is mainly limited
by the cost of extraction and GWAS. Current grant:

100 samples, frozen blocks £2,500
Previous projects used 250 samples (70 individuals) = £7,500
John Hardy
Uses mainly frozen tissue over a period of 5 years = £45,000.