BBMRI

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

This section provides an overview of answers to the most frequently asked questions about biobanking, the role of BBMRI.sk, and access to biobank resources.
1. What is a biobank?
A biobank is an infrastructure that collects, processes, stores, and provides biological samples and related health data for scientific research projects. Sample donation is voluntary and samples are always stored with the participant’s consent. Biobanks are important partners in research and medical progress. By analysing these samples, researchers can better understand how diseases develop, improve diagnostics, and develop more targeted therapies. Biobanks therefore play a key role in advancing medical research and personalised medicine, which aims to tailor treatment to individual patients.
BBMRI-ERIC (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium) is a European research infrastructure that brings together biobanks and biomolecular resources across Europe. Its mission is to facilitate access to high-quality biological samples and data for advancing biomedical research and personalised medicine. More information is available on the BBMRI-ERIC website.
BBMRI.sk is the Slovak national node of the European research infrastructure BBMRI ERIC (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium). It coordinates biobanking activities in Slovakia and connects Slovak biobanks to the European biobanking network.
BBMRI.sk supports the development, harmonisation, and sustainability of biobanking in Slovakia. It facilitates access to biological samples and data, promotes high standards of sample and data quality, ethics and governance, supports knowledge exchange and collaboration between biobanks and researchers, and represents Slovakia within BBMRI ERIC at the European level.
Members of BBMRI.sk include Slovak biobanks and partner institutions such as universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other organisations involved in the collection and use of biological samples and related data for research and healthcare. A full list of organisations is available in the PARTNERS section.
If you are receiving treatment in a hospital or participating in a scientific study, biological samples may be collected as part of clinical care or research. With your informed consent, a small portion of this material may be stored in a biobank and used for future research. In many countries, some biobanks also allow individuals to donate samples on their own initiative.
A biobank may collect biological samples only from donors who have provided their consent. Informed consent is a core principle of medical research ethics and should contain sufficient information to enable the donor to make an informed decision. The informed consent document usually explains: • the purpose for which the samples will be used, • what type of biological material will be collected, • possible risks and benefits, • how the donor’s personal data will be protected, • how the biobank will handle the samples.
No, in general, sample donation is entirely voluntary and will not affect the quality of your medical care.
Biobanks may store blood, tissue, saliva, urine, or other biological materials collected during routine medical care or research procedures. The type of sample stored depends on the purpose of the biobank and the consent you provide.
The sample is transported immediately to the biobank in specialised containers to ensure it is not degraded and retains its key characteristics. Depending on the sample type, it is stored in specialised facilities at controlled temperatures. Samples may be kept at room temperature (e.g. FFPE tissue blocks or histological slides) or stored in special cryovials at −20 °C, −80 °C or −190 °C. Stored samples are recorded in the biobank database and can be searched by researchers. Researchers can access samples only after submitting a request reviewed by the biobank’s scientific and ethics committees. If approved, researchers receive samples and data without names or direct identifiers (anonymised). They must comply strictly with the approved research purpose and the conditions you agreed to in the informed consent. After the research is completed, results are returned to the biobank to support future research.

Your sample may be used to help researchers better understand how diseases develop, why they affect people differently, and how patients respond to different treatments. This research can contribute to the development of improved diagnostics, therapies, and preventive strategies. Often, specific research uses are not known at the time your sample has been taken – but every donated sample has the potential to contribute to important future discoveries that may benefit many people.
Personalised medicine, also known as precision medicine, is a way of providing healthcare that tailors treatments to patients. It takes into account differences between people, including their genes, lifestyle, and environment. However, it does not usually mean creating a completely unique treatment for each patient. Instead, if often involves grouping people who share similar biological features – such as certain genes or biomarkers – to help choose the treatments that are most likely to work best for them.
When you give a sample for research, the healthcare professional collecting it will know your name and contact details. But once your sample is stored in a biobank, your personal information is removed or replaced with a code. This helps protect your privacy. Your information can be handled in two ways: it can be anonymised, which means all your personal details are removed and no one can ever trace the data back to you. Or it can be pseudonymised, which means your information is given a special code, and only certain people with permission can match the code back to you. The benefit of pseudonymisation: it allows researchers to “re-identify” you if they find something critical for your health, or if they need to update your clinical data later.
Biobanks operate under strict ethical and legal frameworks and data protection legislation. • Data processing: Data may be processed at different protection levels (anonymisation, pseudonymisation, or combinations), depending on data type, consent scope and storage purpose. • Researcher access: Researchers only access fully anonymised data without any possibility of identifying you. • Secure storage: Samples and data are stored in secure facilities and protected digital systems with controlled access. Appropriate technical and organisational measures, including cybersecurity procedures, are applied. Informed consent documents are stored separately from samples. • Ethical oversight: Every research project granted access to samples and data must be approved by an ethics committee.
Donation usually does not provide immediate personal benefit, apart from the satisfaction of contributing to science. However, research supported by biobanks has already led to major medical advances. Your contribution helps accelerate research that may improve diagnostics, treatment and healthcare for future patients.
In most cases, no. Research results are usually published in scientific literature. However, if findings of direct relevance to your health are identified, some biobanks may communicate this information through your physician, depending on the study type, regulations and your consent.
Donation to a biobank is free of charge. Donors do not receive financial compensation and participation is voluntary.
Yes. You may withdraw your consent at any time without stating a reason. The withdrawal procedure is described in the informed consent form. After withdrawal, samples and data will be destroyed and not further used. Research already completed and published usually cannot be reversed, especially if data have been anonymised and cannot be linked back to you.
Samples and associated data may be stored for long periods to support future research, in accordance with national and European legal and ethical requirements. Storage duration and governance policies are defined by the biobank and comply with applicable regulations. The biobank is obliged to give you clear information about the data storage periods before you sign the informed consent.
If a donor passes away, their samples and related data may continue to be stored in the biobank and used for biomedical research in accordance with the consent they provided during their lifetime. All confidentiality and data protection measures remain fully in place. The samples and data are used exclusively for research purposes. Individual research results are generally not returned to participants or their relatives.
Researchers must submit a formal request to the biobank that stores your samples. Sample collections may also be searchable through international catalogues such as the BBMRI‑ERIC Directory, which contains anonymised information about samples and data. Access is granted only to researchers whose projects meet ethical, legal and scientific requirements and comply with your consent. Researchers work exclusively with anonymised samples and data.
If you are interested in accessing samples, please visit the SAMPLES section, where you can use tools such as DIRECTORY, LOCATOR, and NEGOTIATOR to search for samples and contact the biobank in which they are stored. If you have any further questions, please contact our coordination team via the CONTACT section.
If you do not apply via the DIRECTORY tool and instead contact a biobank directly, the content of the request depends on the specific biobank’s requirements. Generally, it should include at least information about the applicant, the research project, and the characteristics of the requested samples (diagnosis, type and volume of samples, processing requirements, and desired timelines).
To ensure compliance with ethical and legal requirements, requests are reviewed by the scientific and ethics committees of the biobank storing the samples, followed by final approval by the biobank’s management.
If you are interested in prospective sample collection, please contact the scientific member of the coordination team at romana.zahumenska@uniba.sk, or contact a biobank directly from the PARTNERS list.
Thanks to membership in the BBMRI-ERIC network, researchers have access to a wide range of expert services, including support in the field of ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI). Researchers can make use of the Ethics Check service, which provides support in preparing an ethical self-assessment before project submission. This consultation service helps identify and appropriately address ethical and legal aspects of a project, particularly within the context of European funding schemes. For further questions, especially in the case of international research projects, researchers may contact the ELSI Helpdesk, which brings together a network of experts from member countries. The helpdesk offers individual consultations and connects researchers with specialists familiar with national legislation and country-specific requirements. Webinars, articles, and additional ELSI-related resources are available through the ELSI Knowledge Base. Please note that the information provided constitutes expert guidance and does not replace legal advice.
Extensive information and resources are available through BBMRI-ERIC Quality Management Services for Basic and Applied Research, or you may contact the quality manager listed in the CONTACTS section.
For IT-related consultations, useful information is available via BBMRI-ERIC Common Service IT, or you can contact our IT specialist listed in the CONTACTS section.