Biobanking in times of COVID-19: Risks and Opportunities for Biobanks and Pre-analytical procedures

This web conference is in two parts and outlines what our biobanking community needed during the COVID-19 crisis, what information was missing, which processes were defined and which are still yet to be defined. Additionally, there is a focus on pre-analytical procedures in the hospital and biobanking setting. 

We are stronger together and can serve the healthcare system more efficiently if we are all moving in the same direction. 

PART 1: Risks and Opportunities for Biobanks

• Welcome and introduction – Andrea Wutte
• Lukasz Kozera, Francesco Florindi (BBMRI-ERIC)
• Maurice Bardsley, EVAg European Virus Archive – Global
• Helmuth Haslacher, AKH Biobank Vienna
• Dunja Martin, Leibnitz Institute DSMZ
• Vincent van de Perre,BCCM, Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms
• Sabine Lehmann, IBBL
• and all colleagues in the local biobanks

Part 2: Pre-analytical procedures

It follows up on the open questions raised in the first web conference (Biobanking in times of COVID-19 – Risks and Opportunities for Biobanks) and focuses on pre-analytical procedures in the hospital and biobanking setting.

“Routine processing of COVID-19 samples from the bedside to the laboratory and to the biobank” are addressed as well as a discussion on whether researchers have any “additional requirements for the sample quality”, when thinking of any scientifically driven downstream analysis.

• Welcome by Andrea Wutte, BBMRI-ERIC
• Lukasz Kozera, BBMRI-ERIC
• Helmuth Haslacher, Medical University Vienna
• Antonio di Caro, Italian Ministry of Health
• Open discussion and going back to questions of #1