The BMRI Biorepository Unit at Stellenbosch University’s Biomedical Research Institute is a state-of-the-art facility offering comprehensive biorepository services to clients in academia and industry. Located within the R1.2 billion BMRI complex on the Tygerberg campus, the biorepository utilises the Hamilton BiOS L5—the first fully automated biological storage system in the Southern Hemisphere—capable of storing 3.5 million samples at -80°C with expansion capacity to 8 million samples. This robotic system conserves energy, space and costs while ensuring sample integrity through automated QR-code-based sample selection that minimises temperature fluctuations during retrieval. Services include sample processing using the Hamilton easy Blood STAR system, -80°C automated storage, -190°C liquid nitrogen vapour phase cryopreservation, sample shipping, and customised study planning support. The facility implements a quality management system with LIMS inventory management and continuous environmental monitoring. The biorepository serves as a key partner in the RePORT South Africa tuberculosis research network, holding approximately 60,000 network samples. Their cold chain expertise supports sample integrity from collection through long-term storage, with capabilities spanning short-term backup storage to large-scale research biobanking, serving researchers studying tuberculosis, HIV, rare genetic disorders, and other African health challenges.

Cold Chain Relevance: Ultra-low temperature biospecimen storage; automated cold storage systems; cryogenic preservation; research sample cold chain