By definition, the Biological Resource Centre (abbreviated as "CRB” - “Centro di Ricerche Biologiche”) is an organization providing biobanking services: the conservation of biological material and related information for research purposes.
All activities take place in the same institution in order to guarantee the interoperability between the individual biobanks, homogenizing the procedures for the collection, processing and store of human biological materials in addition to standardizing the methods of collecting and storing information.
The Biological Resources Centre of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute (hereinafter referred as “CRB-IOR”) was born in 2017 within the Scientific Direction to coordinate the activities of three biobanks (collecting and storing biological samples and related data, both clinical and imaging and biological and genetic).
The coordination activity of the CRB-IOR was assigned by the Scientific Direction to Luca Sangiorgi, MD (Del. N. 3628 of March 6th, 2020).
The CRB-IOR’s targets are:
- to collect and store biological samples and information to support both basic and translational research,
- to coordinate and harmonize procedures following national and international guidelines,
- to manage sensitive data in compliance with privacy police protecting the rights of patients and citizens,
- to work in a regional, national and international network thanks to its participation in the European infrastructure BBMRI-ERIC, the National Node BBMRI.it and the participation of individual biobanks in other thematic networks.
The CBR-IOR is composed of the following three biobanks:
- Genetic Biobank (BIOGEN), developing research activity in the field of hereditary diseases;
- Rheumatology Biobank (RheumaBank), enhancing basic and clinical research studies with the aim of having a better understanding of this autoimmune disease;
- Musculoskeletal Tumor Biobank (BIOTUM), collecting samples and associated data from patients suffering from benign and malignant neoplasms of the musculoskeletal system.
These biobanks are all located at the Research Centre of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute and share a single storage room for the material, protected with appropriate security measures and accessible only to authorized personnel.
The biological samples and the related information are managed by a shared software, protected with individual passwords and usable only by authorized personnel, that allows the complete tracing of the biological material (LIMS ModulBIO).
Information for patients
Patients, who accept that their material is stored in the CRB-IOR by signing the informed consent form, become an active part of an important scientific path. Indeed, their contribute is essential for increasing knowledge on the pathologies and identifing specific treatments.
Information for doctors and researchers
In addition to patients, the main beneficiaries of the CRB activity are doctors and researchers. Biological samples and associated data are the starting point for a scientific and translational high quality research.
However, Doctors and researchers will be able to use the CRB service only after signing the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA): a contract that is stipulated between the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute and the Institution to which the researcher belongs.