Terms and conditions

  • The viral vectors produced by the UPV are for research use only, and not for use in diagnostic of therapeutic applications.
  • The UPV is a non-commercial entity operating within the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute. 
  • All charges by the UPV are for scientific services or laboratory supplies, and are not a sale of biological materials.
  • The viral vectors produced are potentially infectious biological agents. By default, they are assigned to Biosafety Level 2 – unless there are reasons for their adscription to a different level. In any case, vectors should be used under appropriate containment, by trained lab personnel. The suggested containment level is determined on the basis of the potential effect of the virus in a healthy human adult; special considerations should be applied to instances in which an individual may be at increased risk of acquiring infection of for whom infection may be unusually hazardous (e.g., preexisting diseases, medications, compromised immunity, pregnancy or breast feeding). 
  • The requester hereby acknowledges his/her full responsibility for following whatever law or regulations may be of application regarding the use of the viral vectors in his/her Institution, as well as for the consequences derived from their misuse. The UPV shall not be held liable for any damage resulting from the handling or use of these products.
  • The requester is responsible for providing all information necessary to produce the vector via the request form or email.
      • If the request is accepted, the requester will send the starting material (in case he/she is to provide it) to the following address:

                                           UPV-UAB

                                           Edifici H, Campus UAB

                                           08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallés)

                                           SPAIN

      • Please make sure that the material you send corresponds to that described in the form. Otherwise, we will not be able to initiate the work.
      • The information you provide will be considered confidential and treated as such. It is necessary for the evaluation and eventual completion or your request, as well as for the correct assignment of a biosafety level. Moreover, it allows the characterization of the viral vectors we produce and advise you in case you do not have enough experience in the use of these type of vectors. 

 

  • The UPV will accept or reject your request according to the information provided. We will notify you our decision within 15 days after receiving the form. 
  • The UPV will not accept responsibility for any problem or delay derived from the inaccuracy of the information provided. Any additional expense incurred into due to this cause will be charged to the requester.

 

 

Additional terms and conditions

 

  • When the service requires customer-provided material, the customer is entirely responsible for ensuring the identity and accuracy of the material. While UPV performs standard quality control checks before starting production, these checks may not fully validate the material’s identity. UPV is not liable for any production or post-sales issues arising from inaccuracies or defects in the material provided.
  • Despite extensive research and development efforts to optimize our vectors, it remains possible that a vector may not function as intended due to the inherent biological complexity of the vector or the system in which it is used. Therefore, UPV cannot guarantee specific biological outcome of the vectors produced, including expression, protein function knockout/knockdown, etc.
  • Titer guarantees are only valid when the size of the packaged region stays within the recommended upper limit for the specific type of viral vector. If the packaged size exceeds this range, packaging may still be possible, but unintended effects may occur.
  • UPV cannot guarantee titer for vectors containing sequences that could adversely affect the packaging process, such as toxic genes, genes that compromise the integrity of packaging virus, and sequences prone to rearrangements or secondary structures.
  • If an order cannot be completed due to unforeseen biological challenges — for example, vectors containing highly unstable sequences, viruses with toxic genes, or cell lines struggling to survive essential gene disruptions — the customer will be responsible for covering costs corresponding to the work already completed. If the customer makes new requirements after the project has begun, UPV will attempt to accommodate these changes but cannot guarantee fulfillment. Any additional costs incurred due to these changes may be charged to the customer.
  • By placing an order, the customer certifies that they are not knowingly requesting the creation of materials that are pathogenic, infectious, toxic, or otherwise hazardous to human health and safety. The customer further confirms that their research using UPV’s deliverables will be conducted ethically, in compliance with relevant laws, and not for the development of biological weapons.

 

 

Storage

 

  • Viral vectors will be supplied in storage buffer and shipped frozen in dry ice. They should be stored in a freezer upon arrival. Vectors should be stored long term at -80ºC. Avoid repeated freezing/thawing, especially if virus has been diluted, to prevent significant loss of viral titer.