Living biobank - Cancer Laboratory SYLI (Development)

The University of Eastern Finland has significantly invested in developing methods for analyzing patient-derived samples, such as cancer patient samples, and enhancing RDI infrastructures, including microscopic high-throughput screening, sequencing, computational capacity, and the latest AI methods, particularly machine learning. This development has been carried out in close collaboration with the Biobank of Eastern Finland. These advancements now open up new opportunities for other organizations and companies that utilize biological samples but previously had not recognized the potential of these methods or had not had access to them for RDI activities or business operations.

The goal of the project is to integrate the existing infrastructure and related specialized expertise, and establish a new RDI infrastructure, the Cancer Laboratory, at the University of Eastern Finland through key instrument acquisition (investment project), and to create an operational concept and comprehensive service model in close cooperation with the regional business community. The long-term objective of this development and investment project is to establish service portfolio in North Savo, where through biobank cooperation, patients and citizens can be more actively involved in RDI activities. The introduction of new high technologies and the development of new RDI services within the project will create opportunities for new business-driven innovations and provide significant health benefits to healthcare.

In the project, a service concept for the Cancer Laboratory will be created in close collaboration with the business community (TP1 and TP2) and tested in two pilots (TP3). A new operational model and service will be created around the sample workflow, where a requested sample from the Biobank of Eastern Finland will be processed (e.g., with a pharmaceutical agent) and then analyzed microscopically and bioinformatically. This type of service concept is unique. The service concept and the progress of the project will be effectively communicated for the local healthcare ecosystem members and for the potential concept users locally, nationally and internationally (TP4). The project promotes the utilization of new technologies and infrastructure at the University of Eastern Finland, increases cooperation between the university and the business community, and simultaneously creates growth and jobs in the region.

The project consists of development and investment initiatives. In the Cancer Laboratory investment project, existing key equipment will be supplemented, enabling the development of a new service concept in the Cancer Laboratory development project.