BBMRI-ERIC connects scientists to biobanks across Europe to accelerate research

The European research infrastructure for biobanking and biomolecular resources offers services in ELSI, Quality Management, and IT, including the world’s largest directory of samples and datasets. Our mission is to make new treatments possible.
BBMRI-ERIC connects scientists to biobanks across Europe to accelerate research
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What is BBMRI-ERIC?

BBMRI-ERIC is a European research infrastructure for biobanking. We bring together all the main players from the biobanking field – researchers, biobankers, industry, and patients – to boost biomedical research. To that end, we offer quality management services, support with ethical, legal and societal issues, and a number of online tools and software solutions. Ultimately, our goal is to make new treatments possible.

With a name like BBMRI-ERIC, we joke that you can tell we were created out of a European project! Our name stands for Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure – European Resource Infrastructure Consortium. “ERIC” is a specific legal form designed to facilitate the joint establishment and operation of research infrastructures of European interest. Basically, we don’t do our own research but rather provide services and resources for others to carry out biomedical research.

What does BBMRI-ERIC do?

BBMRI-ERIC works towards connecting biobanks and researchers in Europe in order to facilitate the use of samples/data collected in Europe for the benefit of human health. We help researchers to find the samples and data they need for their research through better utilisation of quality-defined biobanks and their samples/data in an ethically and legally compliant manner. We help biobanks with their visibility, quality development and usability and advise them on ethical and legal questions such as the European regulation framework. We help European citizens by taking on the responsibility of paving the way from high-quality research to discovery.

We facilitate collaboration in a very competitive field of biomedical science. While the funding sources of biomedical science and its supportive elements (e.g., biobanks) are scarce and the competition is intense, BBMRI-ERIC builds services for the common needs of the research community. BBMRI-ERIC facilitates collaboration on many levels (e.g., IT, ELSI and Quality) for the benefit of the whole research community in Europe.

How can BBMRI-ERIC help me?

We have a variety of resources to help researchers and biobankers alike. These include:

IT

  • Browse our Directory – the world’s largest catalogue of biobanked materials – to find samples and datasets stored in our over 600 member biobanks!
  • Access these samples and datasets via our Negotiator, which facilitates communication between researchers and biobanks.

ELSI

  • Use our Ethics Check when completing the Ethics Table and Ethics Section in your H2020 grant proposal
  • Browse our ELSI Knowledge Base to find answers to your ethical, legal and social questions
  • Contact our ELSI Helpdesk to find answers and get connected to an ELSI expert in each of our member countries!

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

…plus much more!

To find out more about our National Nodes, events and resources, visit our website, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, or simply send us an email

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