BBMRI.it is the Italian National Node of BBMRI-ERIC, the European Research Infrastructure for biobanking and biomolecular resources. BBMRI.it was established on May 2013, jointly by the Italian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of University and Research, appointing Prof. Marialuisa Lavitrano (University of Milano-Bicocca) as National Coordinator and Director of the National Node.

Today, BBMRI.it brings together 54 biobanks quality grade hosted by universities, hospitals, IRCCS, and research organizations that have signed the BBMRI-ERIC Partner Charter, as well as the NICo network of 11 core facilities, 15 patient associations and federations, biotechnology companies, and 290 research groups.

The Infrastructure provides researchers with access to biological samples and associated clinical/research data (blood, tissues, cells, DNA, etc.), which are fundamental for advancing biomedical and translational research. Currently, BBMRI.it biobanks include 294 collections, over 2.1 million disease-related samples, 200,000 rare disease samples, and approximately 250 million tissue samples from pathology departments.

BBMRI.it plays a central role in translational medicine, supporting research from basic science to clinical application and technology transfer. It offers core facilities for biomolecular research, biocomputational platforms for data management, and dedicated Common Services and Help Desks to supports the entire BBMRI.it community—from patient associations and citizens to academia, industry, and institutions.