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Biobanks: key resources for research

Name: State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
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Drug development and other advancements in medical research strongly depend on the availability of high-quality samples. BBMRI-ERIC is the European research infrastructure for biobanking, of which Switzerland, supported by SERI and SBP as national node, is an active member.

21.10.2024

Authors: Barbara Flückiger, Christine Joye (SBP), Sabine Bavamian (SBP), Claudia Lagier (SBP)

Illustration of researchers in a laboratory with various stations and equipment.

Biobanking is central to driving advancements in biological, biomedical and preclinical research. Photo: SBP

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Biobanks, with the provision of biological material (for example tissue, blood samples) and health-related information, are important functional units to facilitate the access of researchers to high-quality samples and their associated data. Biobanking is a rapidly evolving field and central to driving advancements in biological, biomedical and preclinical research.

BBMRI-ERIC and Swiss Biobanking Platform

As the European research infrastructure for biobanking, BBMRI-ERIC currently comprises 24 members (including member states like Switzerland, observers and one international organisation). Earlier this year, BBMRI-ERIC celebrated its 10th anniversary and mid-October, the vision for the next decade was presented. The BBMRI-ERIC 10-Year Roadmap has been developed as part of an intensive community engagement and consultation process with Member States, National Nodes and Biobanks and key stakeholders. With a new vision, revised mission and eight strategic objectives the roadmap will enable a close alignment of national programmes with the European activities of BBMRI-ERIC.

The Swiss Biobanking Platform (SBP) is the leading national research infrastructure for biobanking activities and the Swiss national node of BBMRI-ERIC. SBP was established as an initiative by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to meet the increasing needs of biomedical and biological researchers for greater quality, accessibility, transparency and networking of biobanks for research purposes. With over 90 national biobanks currently in its network, SBP acts as a central interface, coordinating the biobanking activities of human and non-human biobanks with the European network.

The Swiss Biobanking Platform (SBP) is the leading national research infrastructure for biobanking activities and the Swiss national node of BBMRI-ERIC. Photo: SBP

Advancing Biobanking Leadership and Education

Switzerland had been a BBMRI-ERIC Observer country since December 2015. In June 2023, Switzerland upgraded its status to full member and is now represented in the Assembly of Members by SERI. Full membership enables the Swiss Node to achieve several key objectives:

reinforcing Switzerland’s position in the biobanking field and gaining greater recognition from international stakeholders,
contributing to and strengthening the BBMRI biobanking landscape,
more actively participating in various task forces that develop IT-tools and offering guidance on quality as well as ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI) that biobankers and researchers may encounter.

Additionally, it facilitates the integration of partners into European projects.

Another important pillar of SBP’s services and activities is education and training. This year the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Biobanking, developed by SBP in collaboration with the University of Geneva, was launched as a training course divided into 3 modules. This advanced program addresses the critical need to equip individuals and institutions interested in biobanking and research with essential knowledge and proficient skills for effective establishment and management of biobanks.

Professional biobanks can make life easier

SBP has been very active in the BBMRI Quality working group, as well as in the development of the Federated Search Platform at European level. SBP, the German Biobank Node (GBN) and the Austrian BBMRI have jointly launched a film highlighting the crucial role of professional biobanks in advancing scientific research and fostering ground-breaking discoveries. This film serves not only as an educational tool, but also as a celebration of the collaborative spirit between the BBMRI-ERIC nodes and the innovation that drives the scientific community. As the film shows, collaborative efforts can accelerate research and pave the way for a healthier future.

BBMRI-ERIC

BBMRI-ERIC is the European research infrastructure for biobanking and brings together all the main players from the biobanking field – researchers, biobankers, industry, and patients – to boost biomedical research. BBMRI-ERIC provides support and services to local biobanks via its National Nodes (one per country). These are fully involved in the day-to-day management of BBMRI-ERIC. BBMRI-ERIC services cover four main areas: ethical, legal and societal issues (ELSI); quality management; IT solutions for online searches and access requests; as well as biobanking development.