Matched FFPE tissue, plasma, & buffy coat sets
We collect and bank large, well-annotated cohorts of matched FFPE tissue, plasma, and buffy coat specimens to support multi-cancer early detection (MCED), molecular residual disease (MRD) and other liquid biopsy focused development and assay validation — without the sourcing friction.
Most cases include additional matched specimens, such as normal adjacent tissue (NAT), metastatic tissue, or other biospecimen types including serum, stool, and whole blood — giving you flexibility as your research evolves.
Matched sets you can trust — faster, more efficiently, and without unnecessary cost or complexity.
TRUSTED BY LEADING RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
Quality-controlled
All tissues undergo a full review by our in-house pathology team and a nucleic acid extraction QC, ensuring that only well-preserved samples make it to your lab bench.
Fast delivery
By maintaining all inventory onsite in our lab, we offer rapid processing and next-day shipping on most orders, supporting your research without unnecessary delays.
Affordable
With pricing that’s often 50–75% lower than traditional suppliers, you never have to choose between quality and affordability. With us, you get both.
Large selection
Our comprehensive inventory spans tumor and normal tissue blocks from all major organs and cancer types, giving you broad access to the specimens you need.
FFPE tissue, plasma & buffy coat sets, at a glance
We offer a variety of matched sets across cancers, including:
- Matched FFPE tissue, plasma, and buffy coat sets across the most common solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, along with benign indications, across all organs such as: Bladder • Brain • Breast • Cervix • Colorectal • Esophageal • Head & Neck • Kidney • Liver • Lung • Lymphoma • Ovarian • Prostate • Skin • Stomach • Uterine
- Matched tumor and normal FFPE blocks — including adrenal gland, skin, and other control tissues widely used in oncology development
All specimens are collected from patients consented prior to surgery under our EC/IRB-approved research program. This ensures ethical sourcing, clear provenance, and alignment with research and diagnostic development standards.
Blood and all other biofluids are collected prior to the tissue biopsy or resection, the same day as the surgery. This consistency strengthens downstream analyses and improves confidence when comparing tissue and liquid components.
Plasma and buffy coat are processed using standardized double-spin protocols to optimize cell-free DNA quality and minimize contamination. The result is cleaner material that performs reliably in downstream molecular assays.
The majority of our matched sets are sourced from treatment-naïve patients, providing a clear baseline prior to therapeutic intervention. These cohorts are particularly valuable for biomarker discovery, assay development, and validation studies.
Beyond FFPE tissue, plasma, and buffy coat, many cases include additional matched specimens such as normal adjacent tissue, metastatic tissue, serum, stool, or whole blood. This flexibility allows you to build study-specific cohorts without sourcing from multiple vendors.
Each specimen is delivered with deep, structured metadata, including clinical, pathologic, and collection details. Transparent, well-organized data ensures specimens are easy to interpret, compare, and integrate into your workflows.
When you source matched sets from Reference Medicine, you're getting more than just specimens. You get:
- Verified quality and ethical sourcing
- Clear, usable data with no black boxes
- Fast, reliable turnaround that keeps your project moving
Having a “my dreams have come true” moment? Get the sets you need in 4 easy steps
For years, building comprehensive matched cohorts meant juggling vendors, reconciling metadata, and hoping everything lined up. We’ve lived that experience, too. Now, you get well-matched, high-quality oncology biospecimens—delivered with clarity, speed, and the support of a team that understands your workflow.
1. Review our Inventory
You can review and download current inventory, or you can ping us at hello@referencemedicine.com and we’ll get the latest listing right over to you. If you are looking for one of our pilot collections (i.e. longitudinal sets), these are not currently on the website, so please email us.
2. Request a quote
See specimens you would like to acquire? Simply send us an email or submit your request online and we’ll quickly build your order and get you a quote. Alternatively, you can send us specimen requirements and we are happy to help you navigate our inventory and make your selections.
3. Become a customer
Prior to transferring the specimens, we will need an agreement in place. To start this process, visit and complete our Customer Onboarding Form. In addition, feel free to connect us with your procurement team and we will work with them to get set up as a supplier in your system.
4. Place your order
To lock in your request, send us a Purchase Order or you can submit a signed quote. Once either of those are received, you’ll receive an emailed confirmation from us with our planned ship date and your shipping address. We will then ship whenever it is convenient for you!
Oncology and healthy matched set offerings
HIGH STANDARDS OF COLLECTION, ANNOTATION, AND OUR DELIGHT GUARANTEE
Standard sets include a combination of any of the following specimen types: high-quality FFPE tissue, frozen bone marrow for heme malignancies, double-spun Streck plasma, PaxGene plasma or EDTA plasma, and buffy coat.
Every matched set collection we receive goes through in-house DNA QC, ensuring specimen applicability for downstream molecular analysis.
Your delight is always guaranteed! We stand by our products and time-tested techniques 100%. If there are any issues with your order, we will make it right - replace it, refund it, whatever it takes to ensure you're positively delighted.
Enjoy complimentary H&E slides with all of your matched set shipments - no extra costs, no need to ask.
All of our samples undergo on-site pathologist review, including tissue quality (tumor percentage, necrosis, adjacent normal controls), diagnosis confirmation, and molecular annotation when available.
With our dual QC, and quick-turn shipping, you can accelerate your research with confidence and enjoy speed without sacrificing quality.
Get in touch today to explore our current inventory and custom set curation options.
QC so nice, we do it twice
Acquiring samples with poor preservation is simply a nightmare. We perform rigorous checks at every step, including DNA and RNA yield and fragmentation analysis, so your specimens never miss the mark.
Step 01
Patient enrollment
Specimen collections at accredited hospitals under strict regulatory approvals.
Step 02
Solid pre-analytics
Timely and careful specimen preparation and processing, adhering to precise procedures.
Step 03
Pathology review
Board-certified review for tissue quality, tumor %, necrosis %, and diagnosis confirmation.
Step 04
Nucleic acid check
Extract DNA for yield and quality verification, along with genomic annotation.
Step 05
Game time!
High-quality, purpose-built specimens that are ready to ship to your lab.
Precision specimen processing lead to the best results. We know.
We’re more than just a specimen provider, we’re your partner working side-by-side with you and sharing knowledge so we can all do better science. From microtomy tips and validation cohort advice to best practices for tissue grossing and preservation, we are here to support you every step of the way.
