Protein Biomarker Research in UK Hospital Clinical Biochemistry Laboratories: A Survey of Current Practice and Views.

Background: With the increasing drive for more and better disease biomarkers to underpin the stratified or personalised medicine agenda, clinical biochemistry laboratories should be ideally placed to play a major role in their translation into clinical practice. However, little is known about the current extent of biomarker-related research activity in UK National Health Service clinical biochemistry departments.

Methods: In December 2010, an online questionnaire was sent to active UK members of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB) to determine the extent of their current research activity and involvement in protein biomarker discovery and translation, including an assessment of the awareness of proteomics.

Results: A total of 198 eligible responses (19% response rate) was received from across the UK. Of a further 50 eligible people who responded to a follow-up for initial non-responders, most cited insufficient knowledge about the topic as the reason for non-response (24% total response rate). The results illustrate the highly skilled nature of the workforce with many having experience in a research environment (75%) with postgraduate qualifications. However, more than half spend <10% of their time undertaking research in their current role, and many (61%) would like to be more research active. Encouragingly, approximately a third were involved in biomarker discovery activities, even though for <10% of their time, with slightly more reporting involvement in biomarker translation.

Conclusions: Although there are people with the necessary skills and desire to be involved in biomarker research in clinical biochemistry departments, their involvement is small, predominantly due to issues with capacity and resources. It is likely that the majority of biomarker programmes will therefore continue to be carried out by a small number of academic groups, hopefully with collaborative input from hospital laboratories.