Biobanks as reliable partners for translational research
In this talk, you will learn how biobanks serve as reliable partners for translational research, providing high-quality biosamples and comprehensively integrated data. The focus is on the German Biobank Network (GBN), its European integration, and specific capabilities demonstrated by the Leipzig Biobank:
- Extensive network integration: Discover the Network of University Medicine (NUM) and the GBN, which interconnect over 45 biobanks. Through the pan-European BBMRI-ERIC directory, researchers gain highly searchable access to millions of collections, currently offering over 30 million liquid samples, 2.6 million tissue samples, and 3.9 million derivatives to support widespread biomedical research.
- Rigorous quality management: Learn how standardized quality management, including proficiency testing for RNA extraction and histology, alongside ISO 23877 compliance audits, ensures sample homogeneity and reliable data generation.
- Deeply phenotyped population cohorts: Explore longitudinal, population-based collections such as the LIFE Adult and LIFE Child studies. These cohorts provide invaluable resources, including healthy pediatric PBMCs, supplemented with extensive multidimensional data ranging from 3D body scans, MRIs, and cognitive tests to detailed clinical and socioeconomic assessments.
- Healthcare-integrated biobanking: Understand the clinical diagnostic pathway used to capture high-quality matched samples (liquid, fresh frozen, and FFPE) without disrupting patient care. Specialized collections include longitudinal profiling for hemato-oncological malignancies (like multiple myeloma), enabling sample tracking across multiple critical time points, such as before and after CAR T-cell therapy.
Speaker
Dr. Ronny Baber
Head of the Leipzig Medical Biobank
University of Leipzig
Dr. Ronny Baber serves as the Head of the Leipzig Medical Biobank at the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University, as well as the preanalytical laboratory at the Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (LIFE). After studying biochemistry and obtaining his Ph.D. at the University of Leipzig, he completed an M.Sc. in Clinical Research and Translational Medicine. His scientific focus centers on stakeholder management, preanalytics, and quality and process management. Dr. Baber is actively involved in national and international expert committees, including the German Biobank Network, ESBB, and ISO 20387 standardization committees, and serves on both the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Leipzig and the editorial board for Biopreservation and Biobanking.
