All Services provided by Perseus Biomics are subject to these General Terms and Conditions (T &C).
By purchasing any service provided by Perseus Biomics, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Please read them carefully before proceeding with your purchase.
Special terms and conditions can be agreed through the signature of separate agreement explicitly mentioning which terms and conditions prevail.
Perseus Biomics offers are valid 3 months starting from their date of creation. Contracts and sales orders come into effect after explicit confirmation of Perseus Biomics. Liability for errors, misprints and omissions is excluded. In the event of an offer modification, the previous version is obsolete. All offers and quotations are free of any engagement by Perseus Biomics.
Description Sample shipment guidelines:
- Upon placement of an analysis order, Perseus Biomics will organize the shipment of all sample labels and relevant information to the indicated address by express post mail.
- Clients are solely responsible for all shipping costs for samples to and from Perseus Biomics.
- Clients are solely responsible for the selection of the most appropriate shipment method to ensure that samples integrity and quality is maintained from shipment to delivery at Perseus Biomics during working hours of Perseus Biomics.
- Samples need to be shipped to Perseus Biomics properly labelled according to the “sample submission guidelines” and with complete documentation. Only labelled samples can be processed by Perseus Biomics. Failure to read the samples’ labeled barcode due to mis-labelling of tubes may result in processing delays and additional charges.
- Upon delivery at Perseus Biomics, all samples will be immediately logged-in our system and stored until inbound QC is performed.
- Clients are solely responsible for samples meeting minimum sample quality and quantity parameters (inbound QC) as described in our “Sample Submission guidelines”. The submission of samples with lower quality and quantity parameters than recommended by Perseus Biomics may lead to lower quality, false negatives, false positives, or absence of results for which Perseus Biomics carries no responsibility nor liability.
- Partial deliveries of samples are possible, samples will be processed according to FIFO principle (first in, first out) unless otherwise instructed upfront (e.g. batch processing).
Complete sample shipment guidelines are available upon request.
Sample Submission guidelines
The DynaMAP analysis workflow requires isolation of high quality high molecular weight (HMW) DNA molecules and Perseus Biomics has developed an optimized, minimally-biased sample preparation protocol for the extraction of high quality HMW DNA that we recommend for all projects requiring highest possible precision. Inquire with us for all application data and additional information.
“Sample quality and quantity requirements for downstream DynaMAP analysis” are listed in the table below. Deviations may result in additional charges, delays and possibly altered analysis performance. In such situation, a project manager will contact you to discuss possible options.
Sample type
| Stool sample in stabilization buffer | Frozen stool sample | Pelleted cells |
Shipment method | 4° C or room temperature | frozen | 4° C or room temperature |
Buffer | ZYMO DNA Shield, DNA Genotek OMNIgene GUT or equivalent | NA | ZYMO DNA Shield, DNA Genotek OMNIgene GUT or equivalent, or dessicated |
Quantity, concentration and volume | >2 grams (~2 ml volume) of stool in min 2:1 and max 3:1 buffer | >2 grams (~2 ml volume) | >10°9 intact cells |
- Deviations from these sample quality and quantity requirement may lead to failed inbound QC check, thus result in additional charges, delays or altered analysis performance. In such situation, a project manager will contact you to discuss possible options.
- Each replicate needs to be in an individual tube with its own sample label.
- If you have limited sample quantity and/or of lower quality expected to fail our inbound QC check, reach out to our Perseus Biomics technical teams before submitting samples for consulting on possible options.
- Recommendations for sample collection, storage and shipment of different starting materials will be provided upon request.
Complete Sample Submission guidelines are available upon request.
Important notes:
All samples need to be shipped to Perseus Biomics labelled with labels and barcodes provided by Perseus Biomics. Only labelled samples can be processed by Perseus Biomics. Failure to read the samples’ labeled barcode due to mis-labelling of tube may result in processing delays and additional charges for the client.
Presence of biologically or chemically hazardous materials in a shipment need to be communicated and acknowledged by Perseus Biomics before shipment to Perseus Biomics facilities. Any potential additional costs resulting from such a shipment shall fall on the Client.
Perseus Biomics does not provide IRB approval, similar or equivalent. Client warrants that all studies requiring ethical oversight or consent have obtained such approvals before shipment to Perseus Biomics facilities.
Sample processing at Perseus Biomics
Quality control of samples
All samples undergo strict quality control along the DynaMAP workflow to ensure high performance analysis and high confidence in results. Blank, “no sample” or negative controls provided by clients need to be disclosed to Perseus Biomics before processing so they are not held up at the QC steps they are expected to fail.
Inbound QC: Inbound QC is included in DynaMAP service and verifies that samples meet minimum quality and quantity requirements as per the sample submission guidelines. Inbound QC is only applied to the following sample types: stool in stabilization buffer, frozen stool and extracted HMW DNA. Cell pellets samples are only being checked for quality after sample preparation i.e. HMW DNA extraction. Clients are responsible for the submitted samples to pass the inbound QC, according to the sample submission guidelines.
Sample Prep QC: verifies that extracted DNA meets DynaMAP analysis requirements in term of DNA quantity and size distribution. Successful DynaMAP analysis is only guaranteed to samples successfully passing sample prep QC i.e. meeting quality and quantity requirements for downstream DynaMAP analysis.
Read-out QC: confirms that sample read-out and data quality meet requirements for robust downstream analysis through DynaMAP bioinformatics pipeline.
Upon failure at any QC step, sample will be reprocessed free of charge according to the table below. Upon a second failure event, clients will be informed and a decision will be required to either pursue sample processing and analysis without guaranty of result and performance, redo failed QC another time (30EUR/sample), or cancel the analysis and proceed with a refund of the cost of analysis of that sample (see refund policy).
| Inbound QC | Sample Prep QC | Read-out QC | |
Case 1 | pass | pass | pass | Your expectation, our dedication. |
Case 2 | pass | pass | fail | Reprocessing up to 3x free of charge. Full refund if failed. |
Case 3 | pass | fail | | Second inbound QC and reprocessing 1x with higher sample input. Full refund if failed. |
Case 4 | fail | | | Reprocessing 1x free of charge, option to try sample rescue, proceed without guaranty of result or partial refund* |
* Partial refund apply when in good faith Perseus Biomics built evidence that samples provided by the client did not meet the minimum quality and quantity requirements listed in our terms and conditions.
If multiple samples from a single order do not pass our inbound QC step, Perseus Biomics reserves the right to pause the project and, subject to consultation with the client, proceed with analysis without guaranty of results nor refund options, proceed with troubleshooting and sample rescue at additional costs, proceed with a partial refund of failed samples or discontinue the project.
Perseus Biomics liability is limited to the price paid for the products and services relevant to the sales transaction. Except as prohibited by law, Perseus Biomics can’t be held liable for any incidental or consequential damages or for lost profits, loss of data, or for any other claim, expense, liability or loss otherwise arising from any sale of products and services to clients.
Services offered are for research use only.
DynaMAP analysis
Samples having passed inbound QC are immediately being queued for DynaMAP processing according to the first-in, first-out (FIFO). Upon request, all samples can be processed in the smallest possible number of batches. Such request needs to be made explicitly to Perseus Biomics and may lead to longer turnaround times due to the extra considerations to be made on internal sample logistic.
The DynaMAP analysis workflow includes the standard DynaMAP bioinformatics analysis with complete taxonomic profiling and alpha diversity analysis. Additional bioinformatics analysis packages can be purchased, subject to a charge of EUR170/hour, and encompass cross-sample and cross project analyses. Contact us for detailed content and pricing information of each of our bioinformatics packages.
In the event that unforeseen difficulties occur during the course of a project with a risk on either sample results quality or risk on the timeline of the project, Perseus Biomics will inform you early on for information and/or consultation.
The material and method for DynaMAP analysis is included in the DynaMAP sample and project reports. All deviation to the standard material and method will be noted in the comment section of the report and/or communicated to the client through other channels
Turnaround times
Perseus Biomics working hours are 8am-18pm from Monday to Friday.
Saturdays, Sundays and Belgian official bank holidays are not counted as working days, samples received on these dates and the previous day (this includes samples received on Friday) will be processed from the next working day. For proper same-day sample acceptance and sample storage, parcels are accepted between 8h00 and 16h00.
The foreseen turnaround time of a standard DynaMAP analysis is 72 hours, starting from the receipt of the samples and all supporting information. The above-mentioned turnaround times apply to Sample Preparation and DynaMAP analysis services; additional bioinformatics analysis (cross-sample, longitudinal or custom analysis, etc.) will be performed after all samples of a project have been processed and timeline for completion will communicated separately.
For batches >8 samples, clients are requested to inform Perseus Biomics 48h upfront the shipment of samples for resource planning purposes. Perseus Biomics could then provide information on expected turnaround time, based on current sample load in the service lab.
Please note that the turnaround time of clients’ projects will be revised in following situations:
- Should part of the samples be not properly labelled.
- Should the sample fails a QC check, thus requiring extra QC or a consultation with the client.
- Should you have requested a custom analysis.
- Should large number of samples be sent all at once without informing Perseus Biomics upfront.
- Should unforeseeable issues or down-times on our lines happen and the buildup of a back-log. In such case your account manager will duly inform you on the situation and updated timelines.
- Should shortcomings at a third-party site (supplier or partner of Perseus Biomics) impact the normal operation of Perseus Biomics services.
Sample storage
The original samples, extracted DNA and prepared samples will be stored without charges for 5 weeks after the completion of the project and final report has been delivered. After that time, samples will be discarded. Please contact us for custom or extended storage options.
Upon request within 3 weeks after the completion of the project and final report has been delivered, remaining samples can be shipped back from Perseus Biomics facilities. Clients are responsible for all packaging and shipping costs to and from Perseus Biomics.
Upon request within 3 weeks after the completion of the project, samples can be stored for an extended period of time up to 12 months at Perseus Biomics facilities for a fee.
Data transfer, protection and storage
The data generated from a client’s sample during processing (sample files and reports) will be made available to download for 3 weeks upon completion of the project, after which it will be archived for a minimum of 12 months, until it is irrevocably deleted without any notice. Archived data can be restored for a handling fee. Please contact us for custom or extended storage options.
Perseus retains the rights to use fully anonymized projects’ data for internal statistics, communication to shareholders and marketing purposes.
Invoice and payment
- Standard payment terms are 30 days from invoicing date.
- Full payment must be received prior to services commencing.
- If the project is terminated prior to completion at the client’s initiative, payment for supplies procured and services rendered must be made and will thus only incur a partial refund (see refund policy).
- The prices are in Euro (€) and unless explicitly mentioned otherwise, exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) or other local taxes, sales taxes, withholding taxes.
Refund policy
Case | Refund amount |
Order is fully cancelled (no analyses performed) | Full order refund, minus shipped products charged at list price |
Order is partially cancelled (one or more analyses performed) | Refund of order, minus performed analyses charged at list price |
Sample fails inbound QC and analysis is cancelled | Partial refund: price of analysis -15EUR |
Sample fails sample prep QC and analysis is cancelled | Price of analysis -30EUR |
Sample analysis fails partially or totally | Full refund of the price of analysis |
Turnaround time >72h | No refund |
Defects or errors are to be reported in writing to Perseus Biomics within 8 weeks upon completion of the project after which the right of complaints expires. The right of complaints expires, in all cases, two months after delivery of the agreed service. Perseus Biomics is not liable for subsequent prejudices resulting from the use of potentially defective data except in case of gross negligence.
Confidentiality
All communication between Perseus Biomics and its clients is bilaterally considered confidential. The transaction details are for internal use only.
The Client agrees to its data being electronically stored and processed within Perseus Biomics. Perseus shall not share any client data, order or sample information with any third party without prior written consent.
Perseus Biomics handles all client, project and sample information with confidentiality. All information communicated to clients related to Perseus Biomics company, its processes and operations are to be treated as confidential by the client and not to be forwarded to any third party.
Perseus Biomics does not accept to handle or store sensitive patient information and will always refrain from collecting information or undergoing action encompassing a risk of natural person identification. The client is wholly responsible for managing the protection of such data through anonymization to ensure its confidentiality.
Clients are responsible to ensure
i) that no personal reference to a natural person exist through anonymization of samples and
ii) that accompanying information included in sample or project report cannot lead to the identification of a patient and his/her health status or record. Perseus Biomics.
Therefore, samples and accompanying information shall not constitute personal data pursuant to Article 4 (1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as they cannot be traced back to a natural person identifiable by Perseus Biomics.
Force Majeure
Perseus Biomics shall not be liable for any failure of or delay in the performance of this agreement for the period that such failure or delay is
a) beyond the reasonable control of a party,
b) materially affects the performance of any of its obligations under this agreement, and
c) could not reasonably have been foreseen or provided against.
Client may not assign its rights and obligations under the agreement to a third party without the prior written consent of Perseus Biomics. This agreement will be subject to the laws of Belgium. The courts of Brussels will have exclusive jurisdiction of all claims pertaining to or arising out of the agreement. Apart from this, Perseus Biomics will be entitled to bring any claims before the court competent at the Client’s permanent or temporary place of residence.