How researchers can use the resource

If you are a researcher interested in using embryonic tissue from the Human Development Biology Resource (HDBR) in developmental research, you must first:

Register your project with the HDBR. You can obtain a registration form by email from the Resource Manager at hdbr@ncl.ac.uk or hdbr@ich.ucl.ac.uk.
Include with your registration a 100- to 200-word summary of the background to the proposed project and what you expect to achieve using the embryonic tissue.
Your registration and request for access to tissue will first be considered by a local committee at either the London or Newcastle centres. All registrations are then reviewed at a biannual Joint Steering Committee meeting of the HDBR.
You must also obtain ethical approval for use of the tissue from your research institution and supply documentary evidence of this to the Resource Manager before material can be released to you.

Further information on conditions of use of the HDBR

Priority research areas

The HDBR Joint Steering Committee has decided that the material is to be made available for gene expression studies and for cell culture work. Within gene expression studies, priority will be given to work on the following areas:

A known disease gene that is likely to have an informative expression pattern. Genes that are expected to have ubiquitous or widespread expression cannot be expected to have high priority.
Genes that are expected to be important in early development and whose expression patterns might be informative. For example, genes that produce interesting and relevant phenotypes in model organisms, but are not known to be disease genes.
Genes that can be expected to be important in human- or primate-specific functions, such as cognitive function, language etc.
Genes that have been shown to be associated with significant anatomical or functional differences between mice and humans.

User communities

The HDBR has been set up for use by the academic research community in the UK. However, applications from abroad will be considered provided that local ethical approval for use of embryonic human tissue is obtained.
The HDBR offers an in-house service that carries out gene expression studies at the collection centres on behalf of external collaborators.
The HDBR Joint Steering Committee will consider applications by pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies for access to the Resource, provided that the tissue itself is not used directly for financial gain.

Characteristics of the material

The HDBR can provide embryonic/fetal material from 24 post-conception days (5 weeks' gestation; Carnegie stage 11), up to 84 post-conception days (15 weeks gestation). A significant proportion of the material has been cytogenetically karyotyped, and normal karyotyped material is provided for research. Material can be requested in a number of forms.

Contact

Please contact the Resource Manager at hdbr@ncl.ac.uk or hdbr@ich.ucl.ac.uk for details.