Staff Spotlight: Working as a Technician in the Translational Support Unit

What is the TSU?

The Translational Support Unit (TSU), is a dedicated unit within the Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO) that focuses on the operational and scientific side of biological sample management in clinical trials. Our team specialises in making sure every biological sample from every participant is handled, processed, and stored under the highest quality and regulatory standards.

In essence, the TSU bridges the gap between clinical and laboratory workflows, ensuring that samples collected in hospitals or research sites are not just stored safely, but are also useable, traceable, and scientifically meaningful. We bring a layer of technical precision and logistical oversight that helps prevent delays, miscommunication, or data loss; the kinds of issues that can make or break a trial’s biological outcomes.

Our mission is simple but crucial:

To enhance efficiency, compliance, and sustainability in how clinical trial samples are managed from start to finish.

We like to think of the TSU as the “engine room” that keeps the biological sample side of trials running smoothly.

Why is it important to integrate biological insights into clinical trials?

Clinical trials are often seen through the lens of participant recruitment, treatment response, and outcome measures, but behind every trial, there’s a biological story waiting to be uncovered. That’s where samples come in. Critical aspects such as intended sample use, feasibility, resource allocation, logistics, shipping, and post-trial arrangements have frequently been overlooked or simply not had the expertise to appropriately support them.

Biological samples help researchers understand why a treatment works (or doesn’t), how the body responds, and what biomarkers can predict success. Integrating these biological insights allows us to connect clinical outcomes with mechanistic understanding, turning a successful trial from simply “it worked” to “we know why it worked and for whom.”

The TSU fits into this by acting as a scientific anchor in the operational flow. We ensure that sample collection is not an afterthought but a well-planned, standardised, and scientifically informed process. From identifying appropriate collection tubes to defining processing timelines and long-term storage, we work to make sure that when those samples reach the analysis phase, they truly reflect the biology they were meant to capture.

How we work with clinical research teams

Our work is highly collaborative. We partner closely with trial managers, research nurses, laboratory scientists, and investigators right from the trial proposal stage. Our role often begins long before the first sample arrives, we help design sample collection protocols, define processing standards, and set up systems for chain-of-custody tracking and quality assurance.

Once the trial is underway, we handle everything from receiving and logging samples to processing them under GCP & GCLP conditions and storing them securely. We also provide data management support, ensuring each sample can be traced accurately from the participant visit to the analytical phase.

Communication is key. We maintain transparent updates with trial coordinators, assist sites with technical queries, and help troubleshoot collection or shipping challenges. It’s a very dynamic environment, no two days are exactly the same, but that’s part of what keeps the work exciting.

Sustainability in Trial Workflows

Sustainability is one of the most important themes in modern clinical research, and it’s something we’re increasingly mindful of in the TSU. Clinical trials can generate a surprising amount of waste- from single-use plastics to inefficient storage systems that keep freezers running at full capacity long after a study ends.

A lot of inefficiency also stems from uncertainty. At times, collection plans are broader than necessary, or samples are stored indefinitely without a clear plan for use. Beyond being costly and unsustainable, this also raises ethical concerns, since every sample represents a participant’s contribution and trust.

At the TSU, we’re working to make trial workflows smarter and more sustainable by:

• Streamlining sample tracking to avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Resourcing consumables through the LABQUTE network, which enhances sustainable practices by repurposing surplus items from unused clinical trial kits. Laboratories identify excess consumables such as pipettes, conical tubes, and cryovials, which are redistributed to labs in need, reducing procurement costs and waste. This initiative also contributed to us receiving the Gold LEAF Award for sustainability.
• Operating freezers at -70°C instead of -80°C, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining sample integrity.
• Digitising documentation to minimise paper use and improve data accessibility.
• Recycling uncontaminated nitrile gloves and other recyclable lab materials wherever possible.

For us, sustainability is about respect: for resources, for the environment, and for the participants who make clinical research possible. 

Future Goals of the TSU

Looking ahead, we’re focusing on digital integration and standardisation. Our goal is to build systems where biological sample data can link seamlessly with clinical datasets, enabling near real-time insights into collection trends, sample quality, and utilisation.

We’re also working on strengthening our infrastructure and expanding resources to better support the analysis and accessibility of samples. As the TSU continues to evolve, there’s an exciting opportunity to shape its direction, to define new standards in how translational research is integrated into clinical trial workflows and to make sample management a truly strategic part of research delivery.

A personal perspective

From a technician’s point of view, the TSU is a fascinating place to work. What I enjoy most about working in the TSU is seeing how the small, meticulous tasks we do every day, labelling samples correctly, monitoring freezer temperatures, ensuring consistent processing, ultimately feed into discoveries that can change lives. There’s something very rewarding about knowing that a sample you processed could contribute to the next breakthrough in cancer treatment.

It’s also a uniquely collaborative environment. You get to work alongside clinical staff, researchers, and trial managers, all focused on a shared goal of advancing patient care. Every day brings a mix of routine precision and unexpected challenges, and that balance keeps the work deeply engaging.

Being part of this environment has given me a deep appreciation for the behind-the-scenes operations that keep clinical research running, the kind of work that rarely makes headlines but is absolutely essential for progress!

Written by Sruthi Shakthivel, Translational Support Laboratory Technician