ELSI

Resources for biobanks

Ethical, legal and societal issues (ELSI) play a central role for biobanks, which have to mediate between the interests of donors of human biospecimens and researchers. 


The collection, storage and use of human biospecimens and associated data must be ethically justifiable and legally secure. ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Societal Issues) is therefore of fundamental importance to biobanking. ELSI research and advice focuses on issues such as the rights of sample donors, data protection and public discourse. An essential prerequisite for the ethical and legal permissibility of biobanks is the consent of sample donors.  

In Germany, the Biobanking Working Group of the Working Group of Medical Ethics Committees in the Federal Republic of Germany (AKEK) is the central body, with which the German Biobank Node (GBN) liaises on issues in this field.

On this page, the GBN provides a collection of information, text templates and links to relevant organisations. The 'Biobanks' overview page on the AKEK website also provides a very good introduction as well as numerous materials and templates.

Consulting and training

Templates (in German)

Selected publications

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Questions?

[email protected]

Tel. +49. 30. 450 536 347

Fax +49. 30. 450 753 69 38

BMBF
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