BBMRI-ERIC responds to the coronavirus pandemic

Resources from biobanks across Europe available for research on COVID-19

Updated July 2020

COVID-19 represents a great challenge for our healthcare systems. The situation and the working conditions are difficult in many places and direct patient care has the highest priority.

The next challenge, however, is to support those who are finding a cure for COVID-19. This document contains a list of those BBMRI national nodes and biobanks that provided specific information on the resources they can make available to researchers (academic and from the private sector) working on COVID-19.

Biobanks are crucial in the run towards a COVID-19 vaccine and/or treatment. Our network of 600+ biobanks can provide key services to researchers, such as:

Efficient and high-quality storage of samples in clinical and research settings;
Samples from healthy individuals, to be used as control (collected 2-3 months before outbreak in each country);
Guidance and standards for targeted identification, collection and conservation of important samples.

This document provides a list of available resources that researchers working against COVID-19 can access via the BBMRI-ERIC network.

BBMRI will keep the list updated with new resources whenever available.

Download the document here (v2.10 from 15 July 2020).

For more information and questions, contact BBMRI HQ at contact@bbmri-eric.eu

New COVID Directory Filter

Browse our Directory with the new COVID-19 filter to find samples and datasets applicable to research on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

View a map of biobanks around the world contributing such samples and datasets to the BBMRI-ERIC Directory (v5.0).

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BBMRI.QM Web Conferences:

Biobanking in times of COVID-19

The Quality Management department has launched a series of web conferences on biobanking during the coronavirus pandemic. We have been pleased to welcome nearly 900 participants thus far. Read more and join us here.

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ELSI Services & Research Web Conference: COVID-19 and Ethical, Legal & Societal Issues

On April 24 the BBMRI-ERIC ELSI Services & Research conducted a web conference on ELSI issues surrounding COVID-19. You can watch the recording here.

The BBMRI-ERIC Q&A on COVID-19 and ELSI is published here.

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Publications

BBMRI-ERIC’s contributions to research and knowledge exchange on COVID-19. European Journal of Human Genetics : EJHG, 22 May 2020, 28(6):728-731
DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-0634-8

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European Standards for Medical Devices and PPE in the Context of COVID-19

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, and CENELEC, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, agreed, in collaboration with all their Members and after the urgent request from the European Commission, to make freely available a series of European standards (ENs) for medical devices and personal protective equipment used in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

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Research opportunities

See BBMRI’s response to the ERF-AISBL / Accelerate questionnaire on COVID-19 and “Research Infrastructures and COVID-19 Research”

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COVID-19 Resources from other Life Science RIs

The benefits of using established Research Infrastructures are clear: they are ready and able to provide expert advice and resources to meet a variety of research needs. Although in-person visits to facilities may be restricted, many infrastructure services are still available via remote access and, where possible, the cost of access will be minimised or waived. Survey the LS RI response to the coronavirus pandemic here.

ISBER/BBMRI-ERIC Directory Collaboration

ISBER and BBMRI-ERIC have partnered to connect researchers with COVID-19-related samples and datasets in one location. Join our joint COVID-19-ready biobank registry now. Find out more here.

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Life Science Research Infrastructures accelerating COVID-19 research

BBMRI-ERIC is one of the 9 Life Science Research Infrastructures offering services and technologies to assist in COVID-19 research. We also offer guidance on ethical, legal and societal issues (ELSI). View the short video to the right to see where we fit in!