Projects & collaborations
EuroBioBank biobanks provide rare disease biological materials to individual researchers. As a network, it can also collaborate and support a wide range of projects. Past experiences include support of a large research network, PhD fellowship, and call for research projects. EuroBioBank not only readily offers a wide catalogue of rare diseases biosamples for research, it can also complement projects with a wealth of scientific knowledge in rare disease research fields.
If you are interested in collaborating, we invite you to write to the EuroBioBank Coordination office.
BBMRI-LPC Whole Exome Sequencing Call 2016
The 2016 BBMRI–LPC Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) Call offered an unique opportunity to genetically diagnose rare disease patients. The Call aimed to provide free-of-charge WES and bioinformatics analysis for a total of 500 samples, including patients and their relatives, from 10-30 coordinated projects.
A total of 17 projects were awarded and close to 800 genomes were sequenced. The sequencing and analysis were carried out at CNAG-CRG and at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), and data released to the projects via the RD-Connect Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform.
EuroBioBank was the partner biobank network for this Call, providing high-quality DNAs from patients and families. Banking services were also provided for the awarded projects to deposit DNA in trusted biobanks.
Kindness for Kids PhD Fellowship 2015
Munich-based Kindness for Kids is charity foundation with the objective to improve the quality of life of children affected by rare diseases. In 2015 it funded a PhD fellowship that uses an in vitro experiment to help develop a new treatment in the area of rare pediatric diseases. For the project to be eligible, patient biomaterials from EuroBioBank was used in the study. EuroBioBank Scientific Director also participated in the committee for the peer-review of the candidate projects.
TREAT-NMD network of excellence
EuroBioBank partners in the TREAT-NMD project to carry out biobank services for translational research in neuromuscular disorders. TREAT-NMD is a network of excellence, initially funded by the EC (FP6), to provide an infrastructure promoting the transition of promising new treatments from preclinical development to clinical practice, and to establish best practice care for patients with these diseases.
EuroBioBank maintains a close partnership with TREAT-NMD, and is aligned on the description of works as a part of the network Action Plan.