Coordination of the collection and shipment of biological samples

Our role

BioCoord supports European organizations seeking access to human biological samples collected in Africa, without having to set up a local presence or directly manage field constraints.

Our role consists of:

• coordinating collection operations
• mobilizing and supervising accredited field teams
• ensuring documentary and regulatory follow-up
• organizing the secure shipment of samples to the partner laboratory in Europe or to a local laboratory designated by the partner for on-site analysis

Why BioCoord?

• A field network active in Cameroon for more than 20 years
• Full national coverage, from hospitals to rural areas
• A single point of contact for the entire project coordination
• A turnkey service, from collection to delivery
• Verified compliance: ethical, regulatory, and quality

Collection methods

BioCoord supports three project formats, depending on the needs expressed by the partner laboratory:

Operational framework

General process

1. Analysis of the need expressed by the European organization
2. Definition of the collection scope (sample type, population, volume)
3. Mobilization of the accredited field team in Cameroon
4. Sample collection
5. Documentary control and traceability
6. Handover of samples to the specialized carrier
7. Secure shipment to the partner laboratory (Europe) or to a local laboratory designated for on-site analysis

Transport is carried out under controlled temperature, with tracking and traceability of the shipment through to delivery at the partner laboratory.

Samples handled

Depending on the needs expressed by our European partners, BioCoord coordinates the collection of various biological matrices: blood samples (whole blood, serum, plasma), urine, stool, tissue samples, as well as other matrices on request. The exact nature of the samples and the collection procedures are defined jointly with the partner laboratory for each project.

Quality, ethics & compliance

BioCoord applies a strict framework based on the following principles:

• compliance with applicable local regulations
• full traceability of operations
• respect for fundamental ethical principles
• confidentiality of data and projects

The field partners mobilized by BioCoord are accredited by the relevant Cameroonian health authorities.

Ethical framework

• voluntary participation
• clear information provided to the individuals concerned
• collection of written informed consent
• anonymization of samples

BioCoord is not involved in clinical trials or product testing.

Governance & field partners

Project lead

BioCoord was founded by Ange TCHAKOUNTE, PhD in health biology (University of Montpellier), specialized in molecular and cellular biology. Her field experience, gained directly through sample collection in Cameroon during her master's and doctoral studies, as part of international scientific collaborations — including one involving Cameroon, France, and the United States — showed her just how difficult it is for a laboratory or research team to carry out a remote collection and transport project: multiple procedures, logistics management, and training and coordination of local teams. This observation led to the creation of BioCoord, an organization designed to take on this complexity so that partner laboratories can focus on their research rather than on logistics.

Co-founder of a public health association in Cameroon, she coordinated 11 screening campaigns (malaria, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity), in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, benefiting more than 75,000 people.

Coordination

BioCoord is based in France and provides overall project coordination.

BioCoord remains the single point of contact for the project's administrative, contractual, and logistical coordination. Protocol training arrangements and quality supervision of field teams are defined jointly with the partner laboratory, including through follow-up visits where the project requires it.

Operational coverage

BioCoord positions itself at the scale of the African continent. Its operational capacity is currently established in Cameroon, where collection operations are carried out by qualified, accredited medical field teams, operating under BioCoord's supervision.

The field network mobilized by BioCoord has been active in Cameroon for more than 20 years, ensuring an in-depth understanding of the local health context and the country's public institutions.

BioCoord covers the entire Cameroonian territory, from the 10 regions down to localities and villages, with the ability to operate across all public hospital facilities in the country as well as certain partner private facilities, and even in rural and community settings (chiefdoms, neighborhoods, schools…).

Field team

This coverage relies on a qualified, licensed, and trained team of several hundred professionals across all medical disciplines: specialist physicians, general practitioners, surgeons, midwives, nurses, nursing assistants, community health workers, pharmacists, medical biologists, and laboratory technicians, supported by a dedicated administrative team.