The IRBIO Research Biobank is a non-profit facility of the CIBIO Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, within the IRBIO Research Infrastructure for Biology of the University of Trento. It was established thanks to funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and donations from associations, local organizations and private citizens.

Ther IRBIO Biobank supports translational medicine, serving as a bridge between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications, to improve prevention, diagnosis and therapies.

The primary objective of the IRBIO Biobank is to provide the scientific community with quality biological samples and associated data, with a focus on areas of great importance such as neurology and oncology. By offering standardized and reliable resources, the IRBIO Biobank promotes research, facilitating the transition from scientific insights to tangible solutions for human health.

The activity of the IRBIO Biobank is based on two technological pillars that are revolutionising biomedical research: induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs).

iPSCs are adult cells genetically reprogrammed to return to an embryonic-like state and are capable of transforming into almost any cell type in the body. They are fundamental for recreating models of human diseases in the laboratory, to study their mechanisms and to test drugs. The IRBIO Biobank promotes a responsible and coordinated use of these cells and makes them accessible to researchers who do not have the skills and infrastructure required to produce them.

EVs are tiny particles released by cells, mainly consisting of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and reflect the state of the cell of origin. They make it possible to carry out liquid biopsies using a simple blood sample, as they can provide information about hard-to-reach organs. The IRBIO Biobank adopts a set of procedures to collect and process EVs, preserving their integrity for biomarker research.

The resources of the IRBIO Biobank are available to qualified research personnel, clinical staff and public and private organizations, provided that their work:

1. has been approved by an Ethics Committee;
2. has been authorized by the access committee, which assesses its scientific relevance and consistency with the purposes of the biobank.

In addition to access to samples, the biobank can offer advanced characterization and analysis services, carried out at its core facilities, reducing the need to transfer biological material to other sites. This approach is based on principles of openness, ethics and scientific responsibility.