Become A Donor
Become A Donor
Join Us in Advancing Healthcare
By donating to BioGrad, you’re helping drive groundbreaking research and innovation in healthcare. Together, we can contribute to a healthier future for all.
We’re committed to advancing healthcare and scientific research through ethical, transparent, and impactful sample donation. Your donations help scientists gain a deeper understanding of diseases, develop and evaluate innovative diagnostics, medications, and treatments, and reduce reliance on animal research for product testing.
If you’re interested in contributing to the future of science, our team of healthcare professionals our here to guide you through every step of the donation process.
What Can you Donate?
- Menstrual Blood (aged 13 or over, using a menstrual cup)
- Umbilical Cord Blood
- Umbilical Cord Tissue
- Peripheral blood
- Urine
- Saliva
- Nose and Throat swabs
- Vaginal Swabs
- Rectal or Stoma Swabs
- Breast Milk
We are currently seeking donors for following
- Menstrual Blood (aged 13 or over, using a menstrual cup)
- Umbilical Cord Blood
- Umbilical Cord Tissue
- Peripheral blood
What Can you Donate?
- Menstrual Blood (aged 13 or over, using a menstrual cup)
- Umbilical Cord Blood
- Umbilical Cord Tissue
- Peripheral blood
- Urine
- Saliva
- Nose and Throat swabs
- Vaginal Swabs
- Rectal or Stoma Swabs
- Breast Milk
We are currently seeking donors for following
- Menstrual Blood (aged 13 or over, using a menstrual cup)
- Umbilical Cord Blood
- Umbilical Cord Tissue
- Peripheral blood
Join our waitlist, when space becomes available for other donations we will reach out. Join Our Wait List
The Donation Process
Ready to Make a Difference?
If you’re ready to donate or want more information about the process, Book your donation now! Our team is here to answer any questions and guide you through your donation journey.
Frequently Asked Questions: Donations
We would recommend allowing an hour for the online consultation, it may take less time than this, but this allows plenty of time for you to ask questions.
It depends on the type of sample being collected. For some types of samples, we offer easy-to-use at-home collection kits. These include:
- Breast milk
- Menstrual blood
- Rectal or stoma swabs
- Saliva
- Throat & nasal swabs
- Urine or catheter samples
- Vaginal swabs
For peripheral blood, we will invite you to visit our Liverpool clinic to take the sample. We’ll help coordinate everything for you. If you have any questions or want more information, feel free to contact us.
There are very few restrictions on who can donate samples.
|
Sample type |
Exclusion criteria |
|
Breast Milk |
Breast feeding has not become established. |
|
Menstrual Blood |
Aged less than 13 years. |
|
Peripheral Blood |
Poor peripheral access, no collection from arm with lymph node removal. Anaemia. |
|
Rectal Swab or Stoma Swab |
Within three months of bowel surgery. |
|
Saliva |
Medications for saliva production or artificial saliva. |
|
Throat & Nasal Swabs |
Head and neck trauma, basal skull fracture or suspicion of. Surgery to nose or throat which alters anatomy. |
|
Urine |
Case by case basis dependant on source of urine (e.g. MSU, CSU, 24hour collection and urostomy). |
|
Vaginal Swab |
Pregnancy, surgery which alters anatomy, Female Genital Mutilation. |
There are very few risks to donating samples.
|
Sample type |
Associated risk to donor and additional notes |
|
Breast Milk |
No additional risk to you, however you may experience some discomfort during the process of expressing breast milk. |
|
Menstrual Blood |
There is no risk to collecting menstrual blood, however you may have difficulty with insertion and removal of a menstrual cup. Also, the cup may cause vaginal irritation and has been shown in small number of cases to cause infection and Toxic Shock Syndrome. Please discuss with a healthcare professional if using an Intrauterine Contraceptive Device. The cup should not be used during treatment for vaginal infections. |
|
Peripheral Blood |
You may experience a pin prick sensation during the initial insertion of the collection device (needle) into your skin. It is possible that patients will experience discomfort during and immediately after the procedure. This usually settles quite quickly, but if it continues you should tell a medical professional. Bruising or a small lump (haematoma) may develop after taking a sample of blood. Applying firm pressure to the site until the bleeding has stopped should help to minimise this. Bruising is harmless and will disappear with time and does not usually require treatment. |
|
Rectal or Stoma Swabs |
There is a risk to you of irritation, trauma, infection, minor bleeding, you may find the collection process uncomfortable, risk of ingestion of sample preservative if you do not follow instructions correctly |
|
Saliva |
No risks to you however you may find the collection process difficult and risk of ingestion of sample preservative if you do not follow instructions correctly. |
|
Throat & Nasal Swabs |
There is the risk of trauma to your nose and throat, you may find the collection process uncomfortable, risk of ingestion of sample preservative if you do not follow instructions correctly. |
|
Urine; Catheter Sample |
There are no risks to collecting a urine sample however you may find the collection process difficult. If you have a catheter there may be an increased risk of infection. |
|
Vaginal Swab |
There is a risk of vaginal irritation, trauma, infection, discomfort, risk of ingestion of sample preservative if you do not follow instructions correctly. |
If your healthcare provider feels it is safe for you to donate, we will be happy to accept your sample. It might be beneficial for researchers to have samples from people with existing medical conditions. If we have any doubt, we may reach out to your healthcare provider to confirm that it is safe for you to do so.
Reimbursement varies by sample and will be worth between £10.00 – £100.00. The exact amount will be discussed with you at your online consultation.
All samples are anonymised and researchers using your samples will not know that you have donated. BioGrad will store your identifying information in our access restricted clinical database.
Yes, you can change your mind at any time. If you already have donated samples and wish to rescind your consent, we will destroy all samples that we hold for you and your personal information.
You can donate more than one sample if you fit the inclusion criteria or you can donate the same sample more than once, i.e. regular monthly menstrual blood donations.
If you don’t see the answer to your question, please read our patient information leaflet or make a note of it and ask us at your online consultation meeting.
We prioritise your privacy and well-being at every stage. We believe in transparency, confidentiality, and informed consent. Our bioethical approach ensures:
Transparency: We are fully open about how your sample and data will be used.
Respect for Your Consent: Your sample is governed by your explicit consent, and you can change your mind at any time.
Confidentiality: Your personal information and identity will always be protected.
We adhere to the highest bioethical standards to ensure your donation experience is both secure and meaningful.
