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About GBN

Who we are

The German Biobank Node serves as a central cooperation platform for the German biobank community, representing their interests in the European biobank network BBMRI-ERIC. GBN's commitment to biobanking fosters scientific progress on the path to precision medicine.

 

Under the leadership of the German Biobank Node (GBN), biobanks from eleven German university hospitals and two IT development centres have joined together to form the German Biobank Alliance (GBA) in 2017, more biobank sites followed from 2019 to 2021. Since 2022, biobanks at 36 locations and one IT development centre have been working together within the GBA.

The GBA biobanks are harmonising their quality management and establishing a networked IT structure in order to make their human biosamples and the associated data available for biomedical research throughout Europe. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) provides funding for the work of GBN, which is supported by the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg (DKFZ) for IT as well as by the BioMaterialBank Heidelberg (BMBH) and the Integrated Biobank Jena (IBBJ) for quality management.

Taking into account the interests of all stakeholders involved, GBN also advocates the concerns of biobanks beyond the biobanking scene. Moreover, GBN lobbies for biobanking on the European level by representing German interests in the biobank network BBMRI-ERIC. Thus, GBN creates standards for the further development and quality assurance of biobanking in Germany and Europe.

Our mission statement

  • The German Biobank Node (GBN) is the umbrella organisation for biobanking in Germany.
  • We bring German biobanks together and represent their interests within the European research infrastructure for biobanking, BBMRI-ERIC. Public funding enables us to operate independently of economic interests.
  • We strive to advance biomedical research with sustainable “next-generation biobanking”. Our members make quality-assured human samples and data available to the network for this purpose.
  • We work closely with our members to harmonise quality standards, establish a networked IT structure, and develop training for biobank staff.
  • We exchange information with different biobanking stakeholders – from researchers to patients – on an interdisciplinary basis and communicate our findings transparently.
  • Cooperation within our network is characterised by teamwork, mutual trust and collegial support.
  • With our commitment to biobanking, we foster scientific progress on the path to precision medicine.

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Questions?

[email protected]

Tel. +49. 30. 450 536 347

Fax +49. 30. 450 753 69 38

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