Guardians, not Patients.

New Zealand's first pilot study testing room-temperature storage for biological samples, building independent science through community collaboration.

100+ Target Participants

We ask: Can human biological material stay perfectly preserved at room temperature for a full year?

Asset-Light Tech
Community Focused
Peer-Directed
THE CHALLENGE

Centralised ‘cold-chain’ biobanks are expensive to run, prone to failure, and reinforce existing health inequalities.

3.3

m
Kiwis locked out due to costs
$

56m

NZD settlement from lost lives

42

%
Human cells risk mislabeling
Our Solution

S.O.M.A

Self-Organised Medical Archive

Core Research Pillars

Self-Organised Participation

Participants act as "Research Guardians," maintaining total control over their samples via a Digital Kill-Switch.

Medical Validation

Our dry-chain protocol uses a 6-hour lyophilisation cycle to lock structures into a protective matrix for measurement.

Archive Protocol

A secure, fire-rated repository dedicated to research-only samples. No samples in this study are for reproductive use.

Mobile Research Unit

ISO-compliant, aseptic community sampling.
.

Biometric Baselines

Collecting physiological data to understand the impact of environment on biological health.

SCSA DFI Testing

Utilising precision DNA fragmentation analysis as the primary success metric for the study.

Clinical Safety

All collection is supervised by registered NZ clinicians acting as “Clinicians-in-the-Cloud

Direct to Communities

We bring everything to the rural and local towns where it is needed most.

Services

How it works

We bring the lab to your doorstep to unlock what’s already within.

01

Enrol & Consent

Secure digital consent and health baseline assessment.

02

Collect Biosamples

Supervised sampling within the Mobile Research Unit.

03

Process & Preserve

Samples are vacuum-sealed at 0.04hPa for the 12-month test.

04

Rehydrate & Audit

Periodic rehydration and analysis to confirm zero degradation.

People

Who we are

SOMA is made possible by The Circadian Foundation Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. 

SOMA is run by The Circadian Foundation, an Auckland-based charity founded by Grant Munro (formerly of the National Institute of Health Innovation, University of Auckland). We treat all samples as Taonga (treasures) and operate under strict Te Mana Raraunga (Māori Data Sovereignty) protocols. In compliance with the HART Act 2004, all samples are strictly designated for laboratory analysis, meaning they are not eligible for assisted reproductive procedures. Furthermore, upholding the right of withdrawal, guardians may recall or destroy their samples and data at any point, instantly terminating their participation.