Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center

IBG-Biobank

OVERVIEW

With a governance model in line with the ISO 20387-2018 “Biotechnology – Biobanking – Biobanking requirements” standards, as well as an infrastructure enabling good quality and standardized access to biological material, IBG-Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Platform (IBG-BIOBANK)* is a “research biobank” established to provide support for researchers and clinicians for the advancement of basic and technological research in the healthcare field.

Through enabling the preservation of biological samples and related data in high quality, easily accessible and sustainable conditions; IBG-BIOBANK aims primarily to contribute to a healthier living for the public, the prevention of diseases, the discovery of early diagnosis biomarkers and kits.

IBG-BIOBANK was set up with the priority of supporting research on “rare diseases” and “cancer”, aims to contribute to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases, as well as improving the quality of life, and continues its activities under the following four headings:

(1) To create, preserve and share sample /data collections through research collaborations,
(2) To conduct R&D activities in order to contribute to the development disease models (such as cell lines and tumor models) and innovative biobanking techniques for their collection and storage,
(3) To provide support in drawing up quality standards and regulations on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI), as well as implementing and maintaining these,
(4) To conduct activities on raising awareness on research biobanks.

*IBG-BIOBANK is the Turkish national node of the “European Union Research Infrastructures – Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure, BBMRI-ERIC” (BBMRI.tr).

You can contact us directly for the services you request from IBG-Biobank Platform.

CREATING BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES / COLLECTIONS

IBG-BIOBANK is a platform that brings together biological samples (fresh or frozen tissue, blood, PBMC and DNA, RNA, cDNA cfDNA, iPSC obtained from these biomaterials) and related data. It has recently been established on 300 m2 of space within the IBG infrastructure, with a capacity to biobank >3.5 million samples. The equipment includes -80 C -40 C, -20 C, +4 C freezers and -196 C, -80 C LN2 tanks. The preservation of biological samples meet high quality standards (ISO 20387-2018), and stored in accordance with national and international legislation on the protection of personal data (Law No. 6698, EU-General Data Protection Regulation).

Using biomaterials which are transferred, bioprocessed and stored in line with international quality standards and under suitable conditions, it is possible to identify cancer of unknown origin and/or create a profile to classify it, to develop effective therapeutics specific for patients of rare diseases and cancer, to use these biomaterials for the discovery and application of personalised medicine, for identifying immunotherapies, new biomarkers and for research conducted at the highest quality.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

The R&D activities conducted at IBG-BIOBANK include work towards identifying new methods to preserve samples and related data in line with biobanking good laboratory practices and at the highest quality, as well as in a way that makes follow-up possible and that protects the safety of samples and data. These activities also include those aim at developing disease-relevant cell/tissue assay models.

Projects:

1- Biological Sampling for Neurological, Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases.
Supporting Organisation: TUSEB (Health Institutes of Turkey), 2020-2021, Project No: 2019-BT-1/152
2- The Turkey HCC Biobank, and Its Molecular Characteristics.
Supporting Organisation: TUSEB (Health Institutes of Turkey), 2020-2021, Project No: 2019-BT-1/196
3- Implementation and Operation of The Gateway for Health into BBMRI-ERIC - ADOPT BBMRI-ERIC, 2015-2019 Project No; 676550
Supporting Organisation: TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), 2020-2021.

GROUP MEMBERS

BIOBANK ETHICS COMMITTEE
Bioethics Specialist: Prof. Dr. Meral Özgüç
Researchers and Clinicians:
Prof. Dr. Şermin Genç
Prof. Dr. Semra Hız
Prof. Dr. Görsev Yener
Prof. Dr. Erdener özer
Prof. Dr. Nur Arslan
Prof. Dr. Dilek Çımrım
Prof. Dr. Fatih Demirkan
Prof. Dr. Tuğba Yavuzşen
Prof. Dr. Sefa Kurt
Prof. Dr.Tuğba Ünek
Prof. Dr. Özlem Tüfekçi

Legal Consultant:
Semra Marmara

Social Scientists:
Prof. Dr. Gül Ergör
Prof. Dr. Belgin Ünal

BIOBANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Platform Director and Chair: Prof. Dr. Neşe Atabey
Department Manager: Dr. Sanem Tercan Avcı
Quality Management (Acting): Ayşegül Demirtaş and Dr. Birol Tibet
Researcher Representative: Dr. Yavuz Oktay
Clinician Representative: Doç. Dr. Neşe Direk Tecirli
Biosafety Specialist: Bilge Kılıç
Data Security Specialist: Ömür Dalan