We've compiled the most frequently asked questions and their answers here.
If you don't find the answer to your question and it concerns a biobank consent or samples, you can call us at +358 50 578 0815 (weekdays 8:00 – 16:00).
If your question is about conducting biobank research, please read more in the Fingenious section .
If your question is generally related to Auria Biobank, you can always send an email to auria-info@varha.fi.
1. BIOBANK OPERATIONS
What is Auria Biobank?
Auria Biobank collects and stores biological samples, such as blood and tissue samples, from individuals who have given their biobank consent, along with related health information. These are provided upon application for biomedical research. Auria Biobank does not aim for financial profit.
Can biobanking benefit me?
Biobanking promotes medical research. The goal of the activity is to develop the best possible research-based treatments for patients. The larger the datasets that can be combined, the more precisely we can, for example, determine why some people get sick and others don't, or why some patients benefit from treatments that are ineffective or even harmful to others.
Direct benefit cannot be promised to individual sample donors from biobanking, as medical research takes years. Therefore, it is likely that the benefit gained will apply to future generations, our children and grandchildren. Although research primarily helps to understand the causes of diseases and promotes the development of new and individualized treatments, it is also possible that the sample donor might personally benefit from the results of biobank research.
Can biobanking harm me?
Biobank samples are collected during sample collection for diagnosis or treatment, meaning no extra visits are needed. In accordance with the Biobank Act, samples and data can only be released for biobank research. Biobank samples and data are handled confidentially and securely. The biobank primarily releases samples and related data for research in a coded form, so that individual persons cannot be identified. The Biobank Act prohibits the use of biobank samples for, among other things, criminal investigations, administrative decision-making, or kinship determination. Biobank samples or data derived from samples may also not be released to, for example, insurance companies or employers. Biobank consent is voluntary. You can also refuse biobank activity by submitting a biobank refusal .
Who uses my samples?
Samples and data can be utilized by academic researchers, public and private healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies that have received approval from the biobank's scientific steering committee for the use of biobank samples and data according to their research plan.
The scientific steering committee specifically evaluates the scientific level, significance, and ethicality of the research, and whether the research project falls within the biobank's research area.
Is Auria a private company?
No, Auria Biobank is part of the hospital operations of Tyks (Turku University Hospital). Auria was founded by the University of Turku and the then Hospital Districts of Southwest Finland, Satakunta, and Vaasa. Auria Biobank is part of public healthcare, and its operations are supervised by the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea .
I don't live in Turku, does Auria's operations concern me?
Anyone can give consent and a biobank sample to Auria Biobank. We operate in the wellbeing services counties of Southwest Finland, Satakunta, and Ostrobothnia. Biobanks are available nationwide, so if you live outside our operating area, it is most beneficial to give consent to your local biobank. You can find all biobanks at https://finbb.fi/fi/member-biobanks .
2. CONSENT
How is biobank consent given?
You can give your consent to Auria Biobank on our website . Your identity will be verified with online banking credentials. The consent form can also be printed from our website and mailed to us. Biobank consent may also be requested with a hospital visit invitation letter, in which case you can return the form to the healthcare staff.
Why was my consent form sent back to me?
We send the biobank consent provider their own copy of the given consent. This is a confirmation that the consent has been registered in our system. This form does not need to be sent back to us.
Sometimes we have to send the consent form back to request additional necessary markings, such as a date or signature. In such cases, we always include a pre-paid return envelope.
What happens when I give biobank consent?
When the information about your consent arrives at Auria, it is entered into our consent register, and you will receive a confirmation letter. One 10ml blood sample, B-AURIA10, will be ordered for you, and it will be taken the next time you go to the laboratory for other sample collection.
I don't have diseases/I have many diseases, is my sample suitable for the biobank?
Yes, absolutely! Everyone's samples are important and useful for research, regardless of age or health status.
Who sees my personal data?
The biobank receives the consent provider's name, personal identification number, and address. For sample storage and processing, the personal identification number is replaced with a code.
Auria Biobank's data is stored in the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland's information system environment. Access to the systems requires personal credentials. Access rights to the data are restricted only to those Auria Biobank employees who need to access the data in the register to perform their duties.
Which studies will I participate in if I give biobank consent?
This is not known in advance. The biobank sample awaits in storage until it is needed for research. Biobank consent allows the sample to be used broadly for various studies. In practice, however, for example, a sample from a patient with breast cancer will most likely end up in breast cancer research. The biobank only releases samples and related data for high-quality scientific research that is in line with the biobank's primary mission of promoting health. Samples are only released in accordance with good scientific research practice.
I don't remember if I've given consent, can I check it in MyKanta?
Unfortunately, biobank consent does not yet show up in MyKanta . You can always make a request for information to the biobank, but you can also give new biobank consent just in case, as giving multiple consents does no harm.
I gave electronic consent, but I remember giving it on paper earlier. Do I have to go and give another sample?
No worries! Giving consent again does no harm. You don't need to go specifically to give a blood sample, it will be taken in conjunction with other sample collection related to your treatment or follow-up, and only once.
I donated blood and gave my consent to the biobank, why is it being asked again?
You may have given consent to the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service Biobank during blood donation, which operates throughout Finland and collects samples in connection with blood donation. Consent is biobank-specific, and you can also give consent to Auria Biobank if you wish.
Can I give consent on behalf of a family member or my child?
Yes, if it is in accordance with your family member's presumed will and they are unable to express their own will due to illness. There is a separate form for consent on behalf of a family member/close friend, and we can send it to you along with a pre-paid return envelope. Please send us your contact information in the message section at the bottom of the page.
You can also give consent as a guardian on behalf of your newborn child. You can get the form from the Tyks family and newborn ward.
I want to make a refusal or withdraw my consent, what should I do?
Making a biobank refusal or withdrawing previously given consent is possible. The easiest way to do this is electronically at auria.fi/refusal . The refusal form can also be printed from our website and mailed to us.
A biobank refusal can also be requested with a hospital visit invitation letter, in which case you can return the completed refusal form to the staff. Samples possibly already released for research cannot be withdrawn, but in the future, your samples or data will not be released for biobank research.
3. BIOBANK SAMPLE
What samples are collected from me?
Auria's biobank sample is one 10 ml blood sample tube. However, other biological samples taken during treatment can also be collected for the biobank if there are leftovers after diagnosis.
Where is the sample taken?
The biobank blood sample is taken in conjunction with other sample collection related to your treatment or follow-up. This avoids extra needle pricks or visits. Samples are taken by Tykslab in Southwest Finland, Satadiag in Satakunta, and Fimlab in the Vaasa region. The sample referral is valid until the biobank sample has been taken, so you don't have to remember it yourself.
If you want to give the sample immediately, it is possible by booking an appointment at TUASlab in Turku. The sample collection is free of charge for you.
I'm coming in for surgery, will a biobank sample be taken then?
A biobank blood sample is taken during outpatient sample collection, so it will likely have been taken, for example, with pre-surgery laboratory tests. If tissue samples are taken from you during a procedure, any leftover portion after diagnosis and treatment can be stored in the biobank.
What is analyzed from my biobank sample, and will I get the results of the analyses?
Nothing is automatically determined from your biobank sample. If your sample ends up in a biobank research project, the research often takes years, and the results are only available after the project is completed. As a sample donor, you have the right to ask for and receive information about which studies your sample has been released to and what health-related information has been determined from them. You can print it here or we can send it to you along with a pre-paid return envelope.
Can I come to Auria Biobank to give a sample?
Unfortunately, Auria Biobank does not offer sample collection, but if you want to give the sample immediately, it is possible by booking an appointment at TUASlab in Turku. TUASlab is located in the same building as us, at Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20540 Turku. The sample collection is free of charge. You can book an appointment here .
Has my biobank sample already been taken?
No clinical analyses, such as inflammation values, are performed on a biobank sample, and for this reason, it does not show as taken in, for example, MyKanta . If you have had sample collection events since giving consent, the biobank sample has likely also been taken.
Can I eat or take medication when I go to give a sample?
Yes, you can. You do not need to prepare for giving a biobank sample.
Is payment offered for giving a biobank sample?
Giving a biobank sample is based on voluntary support for science, so no payment is provided. The Biobank Act prohibits payment for biobank samples.
4. INFORMATION RELATED TO SAMPLES
How is my data stored?
The biobank processes samples and data in accordance with the data security requirements for confidential information. For example, the name and personal identification number on the sample tube are replaced with a code in the biobank, and the identified sample tube is destroyed. Samples and data are processed in coded form in the biobank.
How individualized is the information linked to my sample, and where does the information come from?
Initially, only the sample collection time and place, sample type, and consent information are linked to the sample. If the sample ends up in scientific research, medical information needed for the research can be linked to the sample. Such information may include various health data (diagnoses, medical procedures, laboratory and other test results, drug treatments). For research projects, samples and data are released in a coded form, so that individual persons cannot be identified. The data is obtained from the Data lake, which operates as part of Tyks' patient information system.
Will I be informed if something important for my health is found in my sample?
The biobank consent form asks for permission to contact you if biobank research analyzes information from the sample that could be significant for disease prevention or treatment.
If you have given consent previously and are unsure of your stance, you can re-submit consent on our website , and we will update your stance in the consent register.
Will my treating physician receive my biobank sample data?
This is not possible under current legislation. Information about a significant health-affecting finding can be forwarded to you if you have given permission. In this case, Auria will contact you by letter and ask for your consent to forward the information to your treating physician. The physician can assess the significance of the finding for your treatment and will contact you if necessary.
How has my sample been used?
You have the right to receive information about which studies your samples have been released to and what health-related information has been determined from them. To receive this information, you must submit a written request for information to Auria Biobank. You will receive the answer in writing.
Are my samples or data released abroad?
The biobank can only release samples and associated data for high-quality health science research. The researcher's parent organization can be a domestic or international research institution or company. For example, research conducted by pharmaceutical companies is essential for bringing new medicines to the market.
What does DNA extraction mean? Will I be cloned?
A better understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of treatments is possible by studying the genome, i.e., genetics. To enable research, DNA must be extracted from other cellular structures. Samples are not used for cloning, which is also prohibited by Finnish law.
5. OTHER
I want to ask about my hospital stay, who can I contact?
You will receive answers to questions regarding care from the unit where you have been treated or where you will be treated. Auria Biobank is not a healthcare facility and does not handle healthcare-related information.
You can find the contact information for treatment units on the Tyks website .
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