Biological Archive
The APHA Biological Archive collects, documents and manages the supply of tissues and fluids for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) research, surveillance and diagnostic test development. The archive supports organisations in the UK and overseas.
The archive stores animal tissues and fluids collected ante- and post-mortem from UK field cases and some experimental programmes. It is the largest and most comprehensive store of TSE material in the world and operates under a quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2015
Material held in the archive
The archive receives material from:
projects designed specifically to collect tissues to be stored for future use
research projects where a range of tissues are collected
naturally occurring cases of TSEs in cattle and small ruminants
See the full remit of the archive.
Requesting material
APHA works with APHA Scientific to supply archive material commercially. Check the current price list
If you need a material that is not listed, contact us. Rare or limited material is not available for sale but may be released in small amounts for research purposes.
How APHA reviews requests
APHA reviews all requests to confirm the materials you need and how you will use them. Include as much supporting information as possible to support your request.
If you are requesting rare or limited material, APHA will consider:
the quality of your proposed scientific approach
the impact on stock levels
You are responsible for any delivery and packaging costs. APHA will provide details of these charges after reviewing your request. If your request is approved, the archive will issue a Statement of Requirement (SOR), which details the offer of supply, and contact you to arrange a delivery date.
Delivery dates depend on prioritisation and available resources. Requests are usually processed in the order they are received.
You must sign a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) before APHA can release any samples.
Contact
For further information, email BiologicalArchive@apha.gov.uk