Yes. We record this number as part of your study. We are honest brokers providing a service, and you are responsible for requesting these services and for appropriate disposition of your samples in compliance with your specific IRB.

The Partners Biobank has limited freezer storage capacity for long term storage of private collections. We store working samples from projects actively being serviced by our other core lab operations. We guarantee storage for up to a year, but after that, we may ask you to accept return of your samples for storage elsewhere for longer-term storage. We would provide advanced warning to the investigator should this occur.

Yes. We serve as honest brokers with respect to your IRB requirements so we make no representation about your specific IRB requirements for use of these samples. We will retrieve samples in our freezers and pack them temporarily, but you are responsible for costs for ship out either by carriers, such as FedEx or by courier. If international shipments are required, you are responsible for all customs and Department of Transportation – International Air Transport Association (DOT – IATA) regulations. We will present the samples to you in a pack for final send out.

Gateway for Integration of Genomic-Proteomic Applications and Data (GIGPAD) is a platform for managing sample processing and genetic services. GIGPAD is the software application that is used to place orders. You can log into GIGPAD at http://researchgigpad.partners.org/.

To request a login to GIGPAD, access the GIGPAD application by going to http://researchgigpad.partners.org/ and click on the 'here' link in 'Click here to request a login'.

• Principal Investigators (PIs) - Click on 'I am a principal investigator' and click 'Submit'. Fill out your information and click 'Submit Access Request'. 
• Researchers - Click on 'I am a researcher who works for one or more principal investigators' and 'Submit'. Fill out your information as well as the information for your PI(s) and click 'Submit Access Request'.

Within a few hours you will receive a temporary password. Upon logging in again you may change the password. We ask that you not share this password and login with any others please. From this point you may proceed to set up your order or create a Study to contain multiple associated orders.

Access GIGPAD by going to http://researchgigpad.partners.org/.

Please send your new account information to our Support Team (PCPGMSupport@partners.org). It is not possible for you to update your account information online.

All of the Partners Personalized Medicine facilities, with the exception of DNA Sequencing and Microarray, require the creation of a study in GIGPAD in order to request services and submit samples.

Studies can be used for different purposes:

• Grouping of samples for processing or analysis associated with a general IRB number with a unifying theme.
• Single PI with several investigators associated with the work. Studies allow setting up the PI/investigator(s) relationships and facilitate managing the data captured under the study. If new investigators join later on they can be added to the study and access the data gathered easily. 
• Grouping of control vs. case samples. Investigators can create studies to help them group and organize their samples and data.

GIGPAD users who do not require a study should consider creating a study based on the above criteria. Please contact the manager for the group you will be working with to review your specific use case.

To place a study in GIGPAD:

• Login to GIGPAD, if you do not have a login see "How do I obtain a GIGPAD account?".
• Go to the Studies->New Study.
• Select the Facility and PI for the study from the drop down menu (if multiple options are available).
• Click on 'Next Step Study Definition'.
• Fill out the information associated with this study: Study Name, Description and the Associated Researchers and IRB information.

The remaining steps are specific to the facility that the study is under, click through these remaining steps and complete any necessary information.

If you need further assistance setting a study for a particular facility, please see our Help Documentation.

To obtain access to a study, the Principal Investigator (PI) associated with the study must send email to the Partners Personalized Medicine IT Support team requesting that you be added to his/her study.

Your saved study is located on the 'New Study' screen. Click on the 'Study' tab and then go to the 'New Study' tab. Your saved study will be at the top of the screen, under 'I. Continue a Saved Study'.

The only facilities that allow you to create a batch without a study are “Microarrays” and “DNA Sequencing”. For all other facilities you must create a study in order to create a batch.

GIGPAD users must have access to an active Partners Personalized Medicine study in order to find sample details. If you do have access to an active study, you may use one of the following two options to find your samples.

Option 1:

• Select the ‘Study’ tab 
• Select the ‘Subject/Specimen’ tab 
• Populate the available query filter with all available detail

Option 2 (Study Associated with BioSample Facility at Partners Personalized Medicine):

• Select the ‘Study’ tab
• Select the ‘Reports’ tab 
• Select the ‘Specimen Detail’ link under ‘BSF’ 
• Populate the available query filter with all available detail

There is information that is required for all orders/batches, such as:

• Facility – Sequencing, Genotyping, Biosample Services, Microarrays
• Order type – Varies by facility 
• PI – Order's owner 
• Primary contact – PI or researcher listed as primary contact 
• Funding type – Fee For Service, Grant Funded, Internal R & D, etc. 
• Sample classification – Research, Other, Unknown 
• Funding source – PO or PeopleSoft Number and allocation for billing purposes

There is also information that will vary depending on the order type and facility, for example:

• Sample(s) information and details
• Services requested 
• Shipping information

The terms batch and order are used interchangeably in GIGPAD. A batch is a transactional unit comprised of a collection of samples and services or tests to be applied to these samples. Currently, a study is required in order to place batches for Genotyping and Sample Processing Services. Microarrays and Sequencing batches can be submitted without a study.

Batches are owned by a Principal Investigator and can be placed by the PI or any Researcher associated with the PI's studies. A batch is identified by a unique number generated upon submission. This number should be used by PI's and Researchers to request information about the batch, such as status, results, data files, etc.