Omics-based sample collection and biobanking for development of personalized medicine

Omics-based studies provide valuable information on personal and public health status. These analytical approaches provide unique opportunities to discover biomarkers that specifically feature different disease stages and determine the emerging risk factors involved in disease prevalence/progress. Access to high-quality biological samples is required to make omics-based analysis unbiased and fit for purpose. We collected the biological samples (e. g. blood, plasma, buffy coat and urine) from 21000 participants randomly selected from the urban and rural area of 31 provinces of Iran, as a sub-component of STEPs survey (Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Studies of Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases) 2016 in Iran. These samples were collected, processed, transferred and stored based on the standard protocols that ensure the quality and fitness of biological samples for all fields of omics analyses. The quality assured and validated protocols were developed for long-time storage of biological samples in the biobank. All variable parameters (i. e. contamination, maintenance, temperature, time, the number of freeze-thaw cycle and storage condition) that affect the quality of biological samples and Omic outcomes were considered in protocol development. The laboratory information management software was also developed to improve data recording/storage and biobank management. We develop consensus SOPs that are generalizable and feasible for every research group in every laboratory. Besides biological samples, Valuable information on demography, socioeconomic status, diet, physical activity, smoking, lifestyle, diabetes, hypertension, urine sodium and creatinine and hyperlipidaemia treatment of all participants was also collected. The crosstalk among these factors and genome/proteome/metabolome/epigenome determines the individual resistance and susceptibility to different diseases/risk factors. Various omics approaches investigate the influence of these factors on a molecular level, with the intention of developing personalized approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment.