A note from our CEO
Welcome to the Brief
Biobase exists because clinical data is abundant and still remarkably hard to use. Most of what slows research down isn’t the science, it’s friction: finding the right material, knowing whether it’s usable, then cleaning, normalizing and moving it without months of back and forth.
This newsletter is what we see working on that problem. Once a month, briefly: new methods, clinical developments, and what they mean for the people sourcing tissue and those supplying it.
If any of this touches what you’re working on, I’d like to hear about it.
Chief Executive Officer, Biobase
The Biobase Brief, issue 01 · September 2026. Adapted for the web from the Life Sciences edition.
A proteome from one slide
Berkovska and colleagues profiled FFPE lung cancer biopsies from 68 patients using a single 4-micron section per patient. The analyses identified up to approximately 8,000 proteins per sample, including drug targets and immune-related signals.
This supports retrospective research on limited material. It does not promise the same depth from every slide: tissue composition, handling, and the analytical workflow still matter. Pathology context helps make the resulting measurements interpretable.
Berkovska et al., npj Precision Oncology 10, 196 (2026).
Match the method to the tissue
A comparison of three commercial spatial transcriptomics platforms used 33 archival tissue types without pre-screening for RNA quality. Xenium showed the highest per-gene sensitivity; MERSCOPE was particularly sensitive to input quality. This is a comparison under the study’s conditions, rather than a universal ranking of platforms.
Wang et al., Nature Communications 16, 10215 (2025).
A separate method from the Lau lab recovered intact cells from FFPE colon tissue, rather than isolating nuclei alone. RNA recovery and representation of some cell types improved in colon, while gains in thymus were limited. The tissue type remains part of the method decision.
Evans et al., Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (2026).
What to put in the research brief
The common thread is assay fit. Define the biological question, then ask which material and preparation the laboratory can evaluate. A headline diagnosis and a specimen count are a starting point; they are not the full specification.
Include the linked pathology information, available tissue quantity, and any requirements for matched images or molecular data. Separate essential requirements from preferences, and agree how a pilot would be assessed before committing the full cohort.
Use the biospecimen request checklist to turn those questions into a sourcing brief.