Biobanking is a step closer to becoming reality in Europe

Biobanking — the collection of tissue or body fluids alongside medical research information — on a pan-European scale is a step closer to becoming a reality. This scale is essential for globally competitive research on improving human health.

The Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) is finalising the transition from its preparatory phase to implementation of the infrastructure. BBMRI seeks to provide researchers with access to a Europe-wide collection of biomedical quality-assessed samples and data to prevent and treat disease. But who has access to what, when, why and how? BBMRI's detailed answers to these questions are major milestones in the transition from planning to implementation.

BBMRI's preparatory phase has been funded with EUR 5 million through the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) as one of several important research infrastructures of pan-European interest. BBMRI is also the first research infrastructure in line to apply for the newly-created international legal status - the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) - which aims to provide a governance framework for cross-border research projects, allowing employment of staff in several member states under a common contract and free from excise duty, thus enabling greater mobility for employees.

On June 9th, 2010, Brussels will be host to the BBMRI Stakeholders' Forum meeting entitled "The European Biobanking Research Infrastructure: A Step Closer". Experts from the broad community of stakeholders of BBMRI, comprising researchers from academia and industry, clinical organisations, patient representatives, research administrators, ethicists and lawyers from all over Europe, including key representatives of many of the largest biobanking initiatives in the world, will gather in the Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi, Brussels to discuss the potential impact on biomedical research from the construction of a European biobanking research infrastructure.

The meeting forms part of a comprehensive consultation and engagement process with patients and the public and will expand on what steps need to be taken to enhance collaborative efforts between academia, industry and patients to advance European biobanking while also highlighting the ethical, legal and social concerns that interested stakeholders have around the collection, storage and use of biological samples for research.