Collaboration to Take Center Stage at Europe Biobank Week 2018

Biobanks have evolved significantly over the past decade, growing from small-scale repositories to massive national – even international – initiatives that are the foundation for many of the greatest advancements in modern medicine.

With support for personalized medicine growing and a burst of new direct-to-consumer testing solutions giving consumers easier and greater access to their health data, the efforts by biobanks worldwide to collect and store this influx of genetic data are growing exponentially.

Established to provide the global community with a vast inventory of biological information, these facilities are making it possible for researchers to quickly and easily tap into a wealth of knowledge stored in thousands – even millions – of samples to accelerate critical advances in population health. By accessing these collections of genetic material, scientists across the globe can more effectively study how diseases develop, progress and respond to treatment through different regions, cultures, age groups and more.

But collection is only the beginning. As we discussed in a recent blog post regarding biobanks, the industry is at a crossroads. Biobanks around the world continue to bring in new samples but struggle with sample underutilization. This situation has spurred global debate on how best to collect samples for long-term storage and better communicate their availability to the scientific community at large – critical topics that will be addressed at this year’s Europe Biobank Week (EBW).

EBW is co-organized by BBMRI-ERIC and ESBB, and taking place from September 4 -7 in Antwerp, Belgium. This year’s event, themed “Biosharing for Scientific Discovery,” will bring together biobanking experts, scientists, policymakers, patient representatives and other stakeholders to discuss the challenges facing today’s biobanks and how we can facilitate greater information sharing for the continued advancement of scientific research.

Integrity: Fully Integrated

Biospecimens are at the heart of every biobanking project. As such, guaranteeing the continuation and efficacy of today’s scientific studies hinges on their integrity. We’re thrilled to be able to attend this year’s EBW to speak with attendees about our range of biobanking products and services for this very purpose.

As leading providers of life science solutions that have been supporting industry breakthroughs for more than 40 years, our applications span every stage of the biobanking workflow, from sample collection to preparation, analysis, transport and storage, on and off-site. What’s more, we offer a full range of top-of-the-line lab essentials specifically designed to secure and preserve samples, including preparation and automation equipment, cost storage solutions, wireless monitoring, tubes, vials, containers, reagents, and informatics solutions for easy information capture and dissemination. 

At our EBW booth, No. 20, we’ll have several of these technologies on display, including our:

• Decapper 500, enabling automated decapping and capping of our Matrix™ and Nunc™ tubs for seamless switching between cap and rack styles and easy vertical or horizontal rack placement;
• VisionMate™ Wireless Barcode Reader, a versatile sample identification and tracking system that utilizes Bluetooth™ technology to easily decode 2D and linear barcodes and QR codes in the lab, cold room or out in the field;
• Nunc™ Biobanking and Cell Culture Cryogenic Tubes, capable of safely securing samples from general cold storage to the vapor phase;
• Matrix™ 2D Barcoded Open-Top Storage Tubes, which come complete with permanent, high-contrast 2D barcodes for maximum reliability and traceability; and
• Arcos™ Block Management System, designed to scan hundreds of tissue blocks and record their exact location, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual sorting for improved productivity.

We encourage all attendees to stop by for a firsthand look at our wide range of solutions and to speak one-on-one with a Thermo Fisher Scientific representative to learn how we can meet your unique biobanking needs. Everyone who stops by and takes our short biobanking quiz will receive a Thermo Fisher Scientific Keychain Powerbank!

Be sure to add us to your event schedule and to follow our channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for updates on all our #EBW18 news and booth happenings!

See you in Antwerp!