Study Procedure

Where do we start?

Sometimes clients contact us at the beginning of study, sometimes clients contact us when samples have been collected. Either way, the first step is the preparation of a quote. We need to know whether the samples are hair or saliva, when they were collected, how many there are, which markers you would like to analyse. For hair samples we need to know which segments we need to cut for analyse. Standard turnaround time is 40 working days, but we do offer priority services.

What happens next?

To initiate a study we need a signed copy of your quote and a purchase order number. To accept your samples in to the lab we need:

A copy of your study ethics approval letter,
A blank study consent form
A copy of the study patient / participation information leaflet.
A completed sample declaration form (Hair Declaration_BAL or Saliva Declaration_BAL 2020).

Barcodes and Shipping

We will send you barcode labels to attach to your samples before sending to Cambridge. Labels are printed with a barcode, our ID number and your chosen sample ID. Your sample ID can be a maximum of 15 digits, please send a list of your sample IDs to the lab in excel or similar format. Shipping saliva requires dry ice, and can be expensive particularly overseas. Please note our quotes do not include shipping. Further information on sample collection and shipping is available. At the end of your study, 1 week after data delivery, we will send our final invoice and destroy or return any remaining samples.