title: BBMRI-ERIC as a resource for pharmaceutical and life science industries: the development of biobank-based Expert Centres.
abstract: Biological resources (cells, tissues, bodily fluids or biomolecules) are considered essential raw material for the advancement of health-related biotechnology, for research and development in life sciences, and for ultimately improving human health. Stored in local biobanks, access to the human biological samples and related medical data for transnational research is often limited, in particular for the international life science industry. The recently established pan-European Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) aims to improve accessibility and interoperability between academic and industrial parties to benefit personalized medicine, disease prevention to promote development of new diagnostics, devices and medicines. BBMRI-ERIC is developing the concept of Expert Centre as public-private partnerships in the precompetitive, not-for-profit field to provide a new structure to perform research projects that would face difficulties under currently established models of academic-industry collaboration. By definition, Expert Centres are key intermediaries between public and private sectors performing the analysis of biological samples under internationally standardized conditions. This paper presents the rationale behind the Expert Centres and illustrates the novel concept with model examples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert-Jan B
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Ommen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Törnwall
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bréchot
authors.affiliation: BIOBANQUES Infrastructure, Inserm US 13, Hopital de la Salpetriere, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dagher
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hveem
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Landegren
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Center, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luchinat
authors.affiliation: The Estonian Genome Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metspalu
authors.affiliation: Uppsala University Innovation, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Lifandis AS, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Ove V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Solesvik
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland [2] Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perola
authors.affiliation: Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC), Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Jan-Eric
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Litton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zatloukal
mesh_terms: D001690:Biological Science Disciplines / Q000379:methods*; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods