UNIVERSITY BIOBANKING CERTIFICATEIBBL BIOSERVICES

IBBL is an autonomous not-for-profit institute dedicated

to service provision in the biomedical sector. As an ISO

9001 (general quality management) certified organisation

compliant with the principles of ISO 17025 accreditation

(competence of testing and calibration laboratories) and NF

S96-900 certification (quality of biological resource centres)*,

we offer a full range of bioservices to industry, academia and

EU consortia.

In an effort to share our biobanking expertise, we have

developed a lifelong learning course in collaboration with

the University of Luxembourg, that is endorsed by ISBER

(International Society for Biological and Environmental

Repositories). The course uniquely combines environmental

and clinical principles of biobanking into one transdisciplinary

university certificate covering all technical, scientific and

ethical/legal aspects.

* More information available on www.ibbl.lu/about-ibbl/#quality

AIMS & LEARNING OUTCOMESThe aim of the course is to provide the theoretical, operational and

practical knowledge required to facilitate the activities of existing

biobanks and assist in the creation of new ones. It encourages exchange

of knowledge and skills across different thematic groups involved in

biospecimen conservation, storage, science and research.

Upon the completion of the course you will be able to:

Understand in depth the common principles of practical biobanking

Put different types of biobanks in context and draw conclusions regarding the theoretical basis of their operations

Apply the scientific basis of biobanking/biospecimen research in Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) development and implementation and in research exploitation of samples

Question the logistical, practical and technical steps of biobanking, and evaluate their coherence and adequacy

Compare different reports on biobank risk management and mitigation

Develop Best Practices/Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Validate biobank protocols, training and technology transfers

Analyse biobank Quality Management Systems (QMS) and the principles of certification, quality assurance and 3rd party ISO accreditation

Master the regulatory, legal and ethical aspects of biobanking

Produce biobank cost analysis and recovery reports

• Foundation studies

• The biospecimen process chain

• Cryobiology

• International developments

• Practical biobanking

• Specimen transit and shipment

• Biobank statistics and strategies

• IT and knowledge management

• Risk management and mitigation

• Impact of pre-analytical variations in research

• Quality management systems and assurance

• Regulatory, legal and ethical aspects of

biobanking

• Confidentiality issues

• Systems biology

• Cost analysis and recovery

• Practical aspects of risk, freezers, liquid

nitrogen, shipment, temperature monitoring

CURRICULUMThe curriculum uses examples from different types of biobanks and

biorepositories - clinical, human, plant, microbial and environmental.

The course is organised in the form of an intensive three week

seminar, with a written examination and a certificate from

the University of Luxembourg. It incorporates site visits

and practical demonstrations at IBBL, including nucleic

acid extraction and characterisation, cell sorting and

characterisation, progressive rate freezing, plant-algae

cryopreservation and in vitro storage. In addition, it includes

tutorial-based discussion sessions on the development of a

Quality Assurance document (process flow, procedure, SOP),

process analysis, the identification of quality indicators and

the analysis of an SOP.

The comprehensive curriculum includes:

TEACHING STAFFThe course is taught by an experienced team of enthusiastic instructors representing

different clinical, environmental and biodiversity conservation disciplines.

Name Institute Domain of Excellence

Dominic Allen IBBLBiobank Operations and Business Development

Laurent Antunes IBBL Pathology

Jonas Astrin Bonn Zoological Museum Museology

Rudi BallingLuxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)

Systems Biology

Katy Beaumont IBBL Biorepository Logistics

Erica Benson Damar Research Scientists Environmental Stress Physiology

Fay Betsou IBBL Biospecimen Science / Quality Control

Stephen Church BD Preanalytics

Andrew Goldsborough RNAssist Biochemistry

Sabine GronowGerman Collection of Microorganisms Cell Cultures (DSMZ)

Preservation of Microorganisms

Keith Harding Damar Research Scientists Plant Molecular Biotechnology

Jean-François HausmanLuxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

Plant Physiology & Molecular Biology

Karsten HillerLuxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)

Metabolomics

Zoran IvanovicAquitaine-Limousin Branch of French Blood Institute (EfS-AQLI)

Stem Cells

Olga Kofanova IBBL Cryobiology

Anne Laure Morin ALM Avocats Legal & Bioethics

Sabine Lehmann IBBL Quality Management

William Mathieson IBBL Biospecimen Science

Marcos Pestana IBBL Information Technology

Marc Vandelaer IBBL Information Technology

Daniel Witte Aarhus University Clinical Epidemiology

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent & having an interest in biobanking

• Good knowledge of English• CV, application letter and letters of recommendation for

applicants should be addressed to Dr Fay Betsou (IBBL)• The selection will be carried out by a committee of

representatives of IBBL and the University of Luxembourg• The course is presently designed for 35 students/year

Are expected to apply:

• Biobank managers• Biobank auditors• Biobank technicians• Ethics committee members• Clinical researchers• Pathologists

Costs

In 2017 the fee was 2,000 Euros

visit www.ibbl.lu write to us at bioservices@ibbl.lu

call us on +352 26 970 520

YOUR EUROPEANBIOSERVICE PROVIDER

SampleProcessing

Biobanking

Biomarker Validation

BiospecimenProficiency Testing

Sample Analysis & Quality Control

University Biobanking Certificate