Introduction to KBC
Karolinska Biomics Centre (KBC) is a research centre operating since 2006 as a resource and competence centre for clinical research in the “omics” areas including genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. The researchers in the centre are affiliated with several departments at Karolinska Institutet as well as the Karolinska University Hospital, and have a high competence on various “omics” technologies. We work both on several big “omics” projects as well as in development of new methodologies for clinical “omics” research. The researchers at KBC work in close collaboration with clinicians at the Karolinska University Hospital as well as with other clinicians at other hospitals in Sweden. The research topics are driven by the clinical need of new diagnostic and prognostic tools as well as tools for prediction of therapy efficacy. Starting material in clinical “omics” projects include tissues, plasma and other body fluids collected according to standard operation procedures. Part of the work is linked to materials collected in conjunction with clinical trials.
The basic concept of the work is to create a work flow starting at meticulous examination of the clinical need for a biomarker, analyses of quality and size of material required, high throughput runs on continuously updated instruments (e.g. mass spectrometry and chip technologies), followed by biostatistical analyses of complex data. Within the centre there is also a drug screening unit working on the identification of new active small molecules. This unit is operating in close proximity to the “omics” activities to provide information on targets and signaling pathways for new compounds.
Karolinska Biomics Center is in close cooperation with the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, the Department of Analytical Chemistry at Stockholm University and various departments within Karolinska Institutet. There is a specific cooperation with the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics as well as with the Department of Environmental Medicine. There is also a cooperation with the Protein Analyses Centre (PAC) which is operating as a core facility for protein identifications at Karolinska Institutet. Clinical as well as pre-clinical researchers are welcome to contact our centre for advice and/or cooperation.