Europe biobank week 2026

Europe Biobank Week 2026

19 – 22 May 2026 | Prague, Czech Republic

Wednesday, 20 May 2026 | 14:00 - 15:30

3A: Preserving biodiversity: Challenges and opportunities in non-human biobanking

Location:Forum Hall Track:Parallel session I
  • Biobanking without borders: Connecting biodiversity, medicine and innovation

Non-human biobanks – encompassing amongst others animal, plant and microbial specimens – are essential for life science research and biodiversity conservation. They face challenges like ethical dilemmas, data standardisation and resource limitations not unlike human biobanks. Yet, they offer opportunities for basic research, ecological restoration, agricultural resilience and scientific innovation through advanced preservation, genomics and global collaboration. This session highlights their unique role in advancing integrated health for humans, animals and ecosystems.

Speakers included in this session:

  • Highlight speaker: Jonas AstrinGGBN, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network and its new secretariat at LIB Biobank

  • Barbora Rolečková and Michal VinklerFrom captive chickens to wild African mammals: Turning research collections into biobanks

  • Bertrand PainOrganoZoo, CRB-Anim’s new platform dedicated to organoids for domestic animals

  • Michele GregoMarine cryopreservation across scales: from microbial communities to multicellular organisms

  • Rosario MusumeciMIRRI.IT – A national gateway to microbial biodiversity, scientific excellence and sustainable innovation

This session will be chaired by Dr. Jonas Astrin and Steven Smit, MSc.