CRB-Anim at the European Biobank Week (EBW) to communicate on the challenges facing biobanks and G2P research (from genotype to phenotype)

AgroBRC-RARe's animal pillar, CRB-Anim, is participating in the INFRA-DEV EuroFAANG RI project (https://eurofaang.eu), funded by the 'Infrastructure' action of the Horizon Europe program. EuroFAANG is developing the concept of a new infrastructure to support genotype-to-genotype (G2P) research on domestic animals.  One of the aims of the project is to organize a European network of biobanks for the preservation and distribution of cell models used for the functional annotation of domestic animal genomes, in order to better understand and control the development of complex phenotypes.

While biomedical biobanks are organized by BBMRI, animal biobanks are not as visible. The current landscape includes national initiatives, such as CRB-Anim in France (https://crb-anim.fr), and European initiatives, such as the EUGENA network (https://www.animalgeneticresources.net/index.php/animal-genetic-resources/eugena-portal/). 

An online survey conducted by EuroFAANG in 2023 gathered responses from 31 biobanks from 14 countries: 9 biobanks can offer a cell model storage service, while 15 would require additional training or equipment. Few biobanks are prepared to amplify or generate stem cells or organoids, (6 and 4 respectively), but a large majority would consider doing so if training and/or equipment were provided. These results were presented at the EBW and provide a basis for analysis in preparation for the new infrastructure. The EBW gave us the opportunity to exchange views with biobank managers and suppliers of dedicated equipment. An entire session was devoted to the 'greening' of biobanks in order to limit their environmental impact, an important point for RARe. Communication strategies were also discussed.
The EBW organizers are interested in extending the program to 'non-human' biobanks, and we may propose a 'RARe' session for the next EBW in 2025, in Bologna.

Contact

• Michèle Tixier-Boichard

Reference

P138: Challenges for biobanking to support Genotype-to-Phenotype (G2P) research on domestic animals
Tixier-Boichard, Michèle (1); Clark, Emily (2); Hartwig, Tina (3); Wimmers, Klaus (3); Harrison, Peter (4); Groenen, Martien (5); Robertson, Joseph (6); Granados, Ana (7); Ige, Temitope Oluwafisayo (1); Giuffra, Elisabetta (1) 

(1) INRAE, France, (2) Univ. Edinburgh, UK, (3) FBN, Germany, (4) EMBL, Germany, (5) WUR, The Netherlands, (6) NMBU, Norway, (7) EFFAB, Belgium