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Conventional Components Team

The Conventional Components Team

The Conventional Components Team of the BEST Collaborative coordinates individual efforts and conducts collaborative international studies that address developmental and regulatory issues regarding the composition and validation of the conventional blood components: red cells, platelets and plasma. Our projects are based principally in the laboratories and blood centers of the BEST members. We perform pilot exploratory studies, inter-laboratory comparisons, and small randomized trials. While principally focused on the methods and needs of advanced blood systems, we have also performed projects suited to countries with emerging economies or even to blood use in field and emergency situations. 

Recent projects from the Conventional Components Team have included:

  • The collaborative development of several new platelet storage solutions.
  • An evaluation of the metabolic effects of holding whole blood at room temperature for up to 26 hours before processing into components
  • A major review of all Cr-51 radioactive red cell recovery studies in the past 15 years to understand the implications of new US FDA standards
  • Development of a flow cytometric method to count platelets
  • Standardization of measurement of platelet activation markers
  • Survey of commercially available blood bags

Current projects include:

  • Comparison and standardization of hemolysis measurement
  • Estimation of the donor effect on various in vitro outcomes
  • Determination of the effect of gamma irradiation on red cell concentrates, and the implication for current guidelines
  • Descriptive survey of current practices of post-production processing steps
  • Evaluation of quality control of pathogen reduction technologies
  • Exploration of the field of non-traditional use of blood components

The Conventional Components Team is working to improve the processing, quality, and utility of conventional blood components.

The team leaders for Conventional Components are are Denese Marks, PhD, Research Program Leader at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, in Sydney, Australia, and Jason Acker, PhD, Senior Scientist at Canadian Blood Services in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.