“Every sample counts – and has a story to tell! Biobanks as innovators for enhancing medicine” – the German Biobank Node and the LIFE Biobank, both of which are partners of the German Biobank Alliance (GBA), took this as their motto for their joint presence at the Long Night of the Sciences in Leipzig on 22 June 2018. Visitors were invited to learn about the world of biobanking during an interactive programme at the university’s study centre.

Large crowds at the “Biobank Triathlon”

The “Biobank Triathlon” comprised a series of different stations: participants first had to take a sample of artificial blood from a plastic arm. This sample was then transferred to test tubes, which were weighed to determine how precisely participants had worked.

At the next station, the aim was to record biosamples correctly: visitors were tasked with registering full sample containers labelled with barcodes as quickly as possible using different scanners. Next, “frozen” biosamples had to be sorted: appropriately attired – wearing safety googles, gloves and a lab coat – the participants used forceps to remove test tubes from containers filled with polystyrene (“dry ice”) and water (“liquid nitrogen”) and sort them into holders. This task was also timed. Discussions about the work at biobanks, their background, significance and purpose arose here as a matter of course.

Presentations and guided tours of the LIFE Biobank

The programme of events was complemented with presentations on various aspects of biobanking by Dr. Ronny Baber (LIFE Biobank), Prof. Dr. Michael Hummel (coordinator, German Biobank Node), Prof. Dr. Roland Jahns (Interdisciplinary Bank of Biomaterials and Data Würzburg) and PD Dr. Sara Nussbeck (UMG Biobank). In addition, the LIFE Biobank opened its doors to the public at the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases: the head of the biobank, Dr. Ronny Baber, and his deputy, Dr. Juliane Dorow, showed visitors around the biobank and shared insights into their work.