Core Facilities

Clinical Specimen Processing

In This Section

Core Facilities

General Information
Animal-Based Studies
Biochemical and Biophysical Studies
- Atomic Force Microscopy
- Biomolecular NMR
Biorepository
- Clinical Specimen Processing Core
- Institutional Biorepository
Cell-Based Studies
Multiomic Analysis
Informatics and Data Analysis
- Bioinformatics
- College of Medicine IT (Research Informatics)
Multiscale Imaging
Pathology and Specimen Processing Resources
Pharmacology
- Biomolecular NMR
- Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery
Research Software and Applications
- High-Performance Computing
Services

The mission of the Clinical Specimen Processing Core (RRID:SCR_021194) is to provide a centralized service for the processing and distribution of human subject research samples for all clinical research activities at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

It has two primary objectives:

Supporting internal investigators by streamlining budgeting and operational workflows for human subject research, thanks to a dedicated core service focused exclusively on clinical specimen processing.
Enhancing cost-efficiency in clinical research by offering centralized specimen handling services, which enables more competitive pricing in study contracts with external research sponsors.

Instrumentation and Services

The Clinical Specimen Processing Core will perform all of the basic activities necessary to process and ship clinical research specimens. Research studies will need to be coordinated by staff in this area. Studies must be submitted through STAR when requesting IRB approval. Contact CSPC for Investigator Initiated Studies. Sample processing services will include separation, extraction and short-term storage (refrigeration and/or freezing) of the samples prior to distribution. Services and expertise will be available to provide complex processing as well.

Clinical Specimen Processing Core will also serve as a central location for all researchers to ship samples to outside central laboratories for extramurally sponsored trials. Specimen containers and shipping material provided by sponsor will be used in this service. This service will also be available for investigator sponsored research. This resource will include pricing and provision of packing and shipping materials. This will be beneficial to investigators when coordinating multi-center trials.

Investigators wishing to make a specimen processing appointment must do the following.

Log in to Microsoft Outlook.
On the Home tab, choose “New Items” and then “Appointment.”
Invite the attendee cspc@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
In the subject line, use the following:
- General research specimens: Study name, IRB number (ex. ABCD, #1234)
In the location, enter C2705.
Start time should be the date and time of participant appointment.
End time should be the estimate date and time of delivery to the lab.
In the body of the appointment, include the following:
- Visit: (ex. C1, Day1, Screening)
- Subject number: (ex. ABC-11)
Click send; when the core accepts the invite, it will appear in your calendar.
Do not use participant name or MRN in the appointment.

Work With CSPC

For information on fees, contact Susan George at 531-0003, ext. 286309 or CSPC@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.

For those industry-funded studies or others in which the College of Medicine Clinical Trials Office (CTO) is providing budget assistance, the CTO will work with the Clinical Specimen Processing Core to provide the information needed to initiate the quoting process. When the study is approved to enroll, a member of the study team will contact the core to request study-specific lab requisition forms.

The core is open for service 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. After-hours services are available upon request with prior arrangement.

To schedule an appointment, email cspc@pennstatehealth.psu.edu. A request form will be sent by the CSPC to the coordinator for the study when notified by STAR that study has received all required approvals.

Clinical Specimen Processing Core is in Room C2705 at Penn State College of Medicine.

This map shows the location of the Clinical Specimen Processing Core at Penn State College of Medicine. Directions: Walk from CRC towards College of Medicine elevators, to 2nd floor. Turn left and CSPC is the 3rd door on the right, in C2705, Genome Sciences Core Lab. You cannot access the lab from the hospital on the 2nd floor.

Citation

All publications, press releases or other documents that result from the utilization of any Penn State College of Medicine Institutional Research Resources including funding, tools, services or support are required to credit the core facility and associated RRID for each core used. Use of services in the Clinical Specimen Processing Core must include the following:

The Clinical Specimen Processing Core (RRID:SCR_021194) services and instruments used in this project were funded, in part, by the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine via the Office of the Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Students and the Pennsylvania Department of Health using Tobacco Settlement Funds (CURE). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the University or College of Medicine. The Pennsylvania Department of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions.