Brain tissue used to study autism destroyed by hospital freezer fault
source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/11/brain-tissue-autism-freezer-fault
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/11/brain-tissue-autism-fre...
"A freezer malfunction at a Harvard-affiliated hospital has damaged a third of the world's largest donated brain tissue for autism research.A spokeswoman for Autism Speaks said it was too early to assess the impact of the loss, discovered last month at the McLean hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, but one scientist predicted it could set research on the disorder back by as much as a decade.
In all, 93 donated brains were damaged at Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC), 54 of them dedicated to autism research.
While foul play was not being ruled out, Bobinchock said that it was unlikely because the collection was located in a locked room within a secure building accessible by one of two keys held by security staff and brain bank staff.
There is also 24-hour surveillance. Bobinchok said the inquiry would concentrate on what caused the failure of the freezer, as well as two alarm systems that should have been triggered by the rise in temperature. The freezer is normally checked twice a day by staff who study a digital readout on the outside of the freezer.
But when a staff member opened the freezer, they noticed that the temperature inside did not match the display, which normally read minus 79 centigrade. Two alarms, connected to separate circuits, had also failed to go off.
The malfunction was discovered on May 31 after three days of rising temperatures – too late to prevent thawing of the tissue. Tests are currently under way to determine if the DNA is intact and can be used for genetic research, but Bobinchock said it is "unclear whether the samples will be compatible with the full-range of the needs of neuroscientists".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jun/11/brain-tissue-autism-freezer-fault
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DeliaTheArtist
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"The collection "yields very, very important information that allows us to have a better understanding of what autism is, as well as the contribution of environmental and immune factors,'' Pardo told the Globe."
- 11 months ago
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DeliaTheArtist
