The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded organization that provides project-driven human biospecimen service to academic and corporate scientists. Founded in 1980, NDRI has more than 40 years of experience in global distribution of human biospecimens for biomedical research.

NDRI is not a tissue bank. We predominately provide project-specific biospecimens by screening prospective donors. Over time, we have accumulated and banked select frozen and fixed biospecimens, but this is not our primary mission. To check the availability of samples in our inventory, email our Scientific Services Department at researcherinquiry@ndriresource.org.

NDRI provides diseased and non-diseased human biospecimens with annotated data. Our extensive recovery network has the expertise and resources necessary to provide nearly every anatomical structure, organ and tissue type via multiple preservation methods. Visit our Services and Capabilities page to learn more.

NDRI works with US-based organ procurement organizations (OPOs), tissue banks, eye banks, hospitals, and independent recovery personnel to recover project-driven biospecimens. In all cases, the donors (or their next-of-kin) have provided informed consent to procure de-identified biospecimens for biomedical research.

Our recovery network includes the following types of sites:

• Tissue and eye banks provide a diverse range of anatomical structures, organs and tissues from post-mortem donors. They typically recover biospecimens within 14 to 24 hours post-mortem.
• Hospital surgical centers provide clinical discards from living donors. They typically preserve biospecimens within 4 to 6 hours post procedure.
• Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) provide whole organs from post-mortem donors that will not be used for transplant purposes either due to tissue type or donor criteria. They typically recover specimens within 4 to 6 hours post-mortem.

• HIV-1/2 antibody
• Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)
• Hepatitis B virus core total antibody (anti-HBc)
• Hepatitis C virus antibody

NDRI may report other serology data, but donors cannot be ruled “unacceptable” based on reactivity in any test other than those included in the above list. We offer testing for biospecimens recovered from organ, tissue and ocular donors. This testing is not available for biospecimens recovered from surgical procedures in living donors.

Please see our “Cite Us” page for instructions on how to properly cite samples received through NDRI and our various NIH-supported programs here.

The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded organization that provides project-driven human biospecimen service to academic and corporate scientists. Founded in 1980, NDRI has more than 40 years of experience in global distribution of human biospecimens for biomedical research.

NDRI is not a tissue bank. We predominately provide project-specific biospecimens by screening prospective donors. Over time, we have accumulated and banked select frozen and fixed biospecimens, but this is not our primary mission. To check the availability of samples in our inventory, email our Scientific Services Department at researcherinquiry@ndriresource.org.

NDRI provides diseased and non-diseased human biospecimens with annotated data. Our extensive recovery network has the expertise and resources necessary to provide nearly every anatomical structure, organ and tissue type via multiple preservation methods. Visit our Services and Capabilities page to learn more.

NDRI works with US-based organ procurement organizations (OPOs), tissue banks, eye banks, hospitals, and independent recovery personnel to recover project-driven biospecimens. In all cases, the donors (or their next-of-kin) have provided informed consent to procure de-identified biospecimens for biomedical research.

Our recovery network includes the following types of sites:

• Tissue and eye banks provide a diverse range of anatomical structures, organs and tissues from post-mortem donors. They typically recover biospecimens within 14 to 24 hours post-mortem.
• Hospital surgical centers provide clinical discards from living donors. They typically preserve biospecimens within 4 to 6 hours post procedure.
• Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) provide whole organs from post-mortem donors that will not be used for transplant purposes either due to tissue type or donor criteria. They typically recover specimens within 4 to 6 hours post-mortem.

• HIV-1/2 antibody
• Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)
• Hepatitis B virus core total antibody (anti-HBc)
• Hepatitis C virus antibody

NDRI may report other serology data, but donors cannot be ruled “unacceptable” based on reactivity in any test other than those included in the above list. We offer testing for biospecimens recovered from organ, tissue and ocular donors. This testing is not available for biospecimens recovered from surgical procedures in living donors.

The samples NDRI provides are de-identified. An approved IRB protocol is typically not necessary, but we still ask for an indication that you are approved to use human biospecimens. Academic researchers can contact their IRB about the proposed project and send us a copy of the IRB exemption letter or human subjects determination from your institution. Corporate researchers may utilize an external IRB or provide a letter from a company official (other than the Principal Investigator) stating that the use of human tissue in your research is authorized and universal precautions will be strictly followed.