The UMCG has a leading position in biobank
research. There is a long tradition in both research with long-term cohorts of
specific patient groups and in population-based studies. Well-known Groningen Biobank/cohort studies are LifeLines, Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen, PREVEND, GIANTT and TRAILS. Clinical biobanks have
been given a boost by the participation of the UMCG in the Parelsnoer
Institute (PSI) of the NFU.
Besides the different biobanks with large numbers of stored biomaterials and
data, also a lot of expertise and experience is available in the UMCG on all methodological
aspects of biobank research (e.g. research design, bioinformatics, bio-imaging,
laboratory processes, statistics, on legal and regulatory affairs and on quality
and privacy). In addition, the UMCG invested in facilities for biobank
research, especially large-scale ICT facilities and long-term storage of
biomaterials. In November 2012, the Board established the UMCG Biobank
Regulations, that provide rules and guidelines for the collection, storage and
use of human tissue and associated data from patients in the UMCG.
UMCG researchers are active on important positions in all national research
data / biobank organisations, such as the nationwide Parelsnoer
Institute (PSI), BBMRI-NL, NFU research IT "data4lifesciences" , ZonMw data management projects, Dutch Tech Centre for Life
Sciences (DTL), Surf Sara
projects. Also in
Europe, various UMCG researchers have influential positions in the field of
biobank research as in the large FP7 biobank projects: BioSHaRE, coordinated by the UMCG and BBMRI LPC , with the UMCG as national representative. In addition, the UMCG is closely involved in Elixir, the European bioinformatics
consortium.