The SSCD team have a special interest in new and emerging technologies in the world of blood transfusion. They strive to provide world class products and services through continuous improvement with a strong focus on patient safety. They ensure all equipment, procedures and materials used to process blood products have been validated and meet both internal and external standards of safety and efficacy, and provide round the clock services to our hospitals, issuing products and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  This team of Scientists are focused on providing scientific input to the Production, quality control and Platelet Apheresis departments, ensuring that all our products meet the highest quality standards. 

Aims

• Identify and evaluate the biological mechanisms impacting the quality, function and production of existing and emerging blood components.
• Provide evidence to inform blood component production best practice.

Key Findings

• The oxygen levels of red cell concentrates varied widely at donation. We developed an the oxygen exposure index (OEI) to estimate the accumulated oxygen exposure burden of RCC at the time of transfusion.
  • The oxygen saturation of red blood cell concentrates: The basis for a novel index of red cell oxidative stress. Yoshida T, McMahon E, Croxon H, Dunham A, Gaccione P, Abbasi B, Beckman N, Omert L, Field S, Waters A. Transfusion. 2022 Jan;62(1):183-193.

• This study provides evidence that 12-15 min donations should not be excluded for platelet concentrate preparation and justifies to readdress the guidelines to <15 min instead of <12 min of collection in line with current practice in some countries.
  • Evaluation of platelet concentrates prepared from whole blood donations with collection times between 12 and 15 min: The BEST Collaborative study. de Korte D, Bontekoe IJ, Fitzpatrick Á, Marks D, Wood B, Gravemann U, Bohoněk M, Kutner JM; Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion Collaborative. Vox Sang. 2022 May;117(5):671-677.

• The method of blood component manufacturing determined the absolute levels of hemolysis and potassium in irradiated and nonirradiated units, but did not influence the effect that timing of irradiation had on the in vitro quality characteristics.
  • Timing of gamma irradiation and blood donor sex influences in vitro characteristics of red blood cells. de Korte D, Thibault L, Handke W, Harm SK, Morrison A, Fitzpatrick A, Marks DC, Yi QL, Acker JP; Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) collaborative. Transfusion. 2018 Apr;58(4):917-926.

On-going Research 

• Impact of donor variability on the quality and function of platelets
• PhD Project: Characterisation of platelet-derived extracellular vesicles.