The Project

Funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Strengthening BBMRI.it is a project to reinforce BBMRI.it, the Italian Node of the European biobanking Research Infrastructure, BBMRI-ERIC.

Coordinated by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Strengthening BBMRI.it will consolidate Node Common Services, provide training for biobankers, data and quality managers, enrich collections of biological resources through meaningful descriptions, FAIRify samples data, unfold its Open Science potential through Federated Platform and digitalized informed consent.

BUDGET

23.396.591,43€

PROJECT DURATION

01/11/2022 - 30/04/2026

5 PARTNERS

7 OPERATION UNITS

6 WORK PACKEGES

27 ACTIVITITES

125 INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES

UNLOCKING THE ITALIAN BIOBANKING POTENTIAL

Creating an environment for scientific development
Support to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan funded initiatives
• Extended partnerships
• National Centers
• Innovation ecosystems for sustainability
Biobanking 4.0
  • establishment of six new biobanks 
Key actions
  • Strengthening ELSI, IT, and Quality Common Services
  • Recruitment of skilled staff
  • Advanced training programs
  • Implementation of a comprehensive Quality Management System
  • Continuous monitoring of KPIs
  • ISO 20387 biobank accreditation process
  • Harmonization of cost recovery models and fee schedules
  •  Consolidate a collaborative Responsible Research and Innovation ecosystem
  • Establish specialized of Practice platform
  • Create a digital biobanking portal with integrated services
  • Develop a dynamic, digital informed consent system with secure ID access, offering citizens a dedicated space for consent forms, research information, incidental findings, and results feedback
  • Implement systems and procedures to manage the “data deluge” in line with FAIR principles
  • FAIRify data linked to biobanked samples, ensuring they are machine-readable and analyzable
  • Long-term data preservation storage
  • AI-based data analysis platform
  • Provide specialized training in data management and stewardship
Boosting the power of biobanks
  • Fostering easier access to samples, data, and cutting-edge services
  • Exploiting MarketPlace: service catalogue
  • Funding research projects tat showcase real-world applications of biobank resources

Within the project, six different Working Groups have been established to achieve few crucial goals:

  • Empowering the ELSI BBMRI extended community as a digital “Responsible Research & Innovation” (RRI) community of practices with solutions such as both  a participatory peer-to-peer and an open knowledge platform based on Decidim a Biobank APP to digitalize dynamically informed consent integrated with Digital Use Conditions (DUC) and Common Conditions of Use Elements (CCE)
  • Accelerating the data FAIRness transition for biobanks and fostering federated search on FAIRified biobanks
  • Creating biobanks digital profiles to be published on the European catalogue market place, directory of BBMRI-ERIC
  • Pushing and supporting Italian biobanks towards ISO 20387 accreditation process
  • Providing Open Calls that address biobanks needs and opportunities for researchers such as the Young Researcher Training Award
  • Connecting more deeply with the Italian Core Facilities network (N.I.Co.) to enhance translational research
  • Establishing six new public specialized 4.0 biobanks that aim to provide cutting-edge technology, diagnostic devices and therapies stemmed from high-quality research
This Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) funded project witnesses the cooperation of several public institutions such as the National Research Council of Italy and four Italian Universities coming from both the Northern and Southern regions of the country.

Partners

  • CNR (National Research Council): 

IEOMI (leader) – Center for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology; 

ITB – Institute for Biomedical Technologies; 

IGB – Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati Traverso”. 

  • University of Trento 

DiCIBIO – Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology. 

  • University of Verona 

ARC-Net – Cancer Research Centre. 

  • Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna 

DIMEC – Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences. 

  • University of Naples “Federico II” 

DB – Department of Biology. 

DISMET – Department of Translational Medical Science. 

DF – Department of Pharmacy.

Partners

CNR – National Research Council (Applicant)

CNR-IEOMI (Center for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology)

CNR-IEOMI coordinates the project, contributes to enlarge the BBMRI.it network by developing a next-generation biobank (Biobanking 4.0) hosting MSCs and EPCs from adult tissues; CNR-IEOMI strengthens BBMRI.it through innovative ELSI digital tools, data FAIRification.

CNR-ITB (Institute of Biomedical Technologies)

CNR-ITB coordinates the Common Service Information Technology (CS-IT) of BBMRI.it, which implements and manages IT services in close collaboration with BBMRI-ERIC. CNR-ITB strengthens BBMRI.it through advanced IT services and infrastructures, and AI-powered analysis platform.

CNR-IGB (Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “A. Buzzati-Traverso”)

CNR-IGB hosts rare diseases and population biobanks, along with advanced facilities for mouse modeling, microscopy, and flow cytometry. It contribute to enlarge the BBMRI.it network by developing a 4th generation biobank hosting organoids, iPSCs, and samples from rare diseases and orphan tumors.

University of Trento

CIBIO

The University of Trento coordinates the NiCO network of Italian core facilities providing high-quality -omic and imaging services for researchers and biotech/pharma SMEs across Italy and beyond through Transnational Access (TNA) calls. It also contribute to enlarge the BBMRI.it network by developing a 4th generation biobankhosting iPSCs and biofluids for extracellular vesicles.

University of Verona

ARC-Net

The University of Verona manages Transnational Access (TNA), providing researchers and biotech/pharma SMEs with access to biobank samples, data, and core facilities. It also developed a Digital Pathology platform.

University of Bologna

DIMEC

The University of Bologna coordinates outreach and communication activities, oversees training calls for young scientists and strengthens academia–industry collaborations in line with BBMRI Expert Centers. It also contribute to enlarge the BBMRI.it network by developing a 4th generation biobank hosting organoids, microbiomes, iPSCs, and adult progenitor cells.

University of Naples Federico II

Departments of Biology, Pharmacy, Translational Medical Sciences

The University of Napoli Federico II contribute to enlarge the BBMRI.it network by developing a 4th generation biobank hosting patient-derived cancer organoids. It also managed TNA calls to promote innovative research through demonstrator use cases. The calls cover the cost to access samples and/or services to implement use case.