{"id":30243,"date":"2022-03-17T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T05:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=30243"},"modified":"2022-10-17T09:59:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T07:59:37","slug":"semmelweis-biobank-network-our-goal-is-to-become-a-regional-leader-of-the-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2022\/03\/semmelweis-biobank-network-our-goal-is-to-become-a-regional-leader-of-the-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Semmelweis Biobank Network: our goal is to become a regional leader"},"content":{"rendered":"
The future of the university’s biobank network, as well as the connections and opportunities of related institutions were the main topics of the Semmelweis Science and Business Salon in March. The event was opened by Rector Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely, who stressed that the positioning of Hungarian biobanks including the university network in the European competition is essential. “Our aim is to make Semmelweis Biobank Network even more competitive, so it becomes the first partner of choice, a regional leader in this field,” he said.<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Semmelweis has decades of experience in biobanks, with around 100,000 biological samples currently stored in 25 different facilities. In 2021, the university became part of the largest biobank network and research infrastructure in Europe<\/a> by joining the Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC). The university is also the leader of the BBMRI National Node and thus the flagship of national efforts in this area, the rector reminded. \u201cOne of the conditions for moving forward is a more coherent system, a homogeneous IT infrastructure for data collection. This is the aim of a forthcoming data repository project, which would unify the university\u2019s databases under the thematic excellence program. We are planning a phased expansion of the current infrastructure, with the ongoing Science Park project providing the opportunity for the next step up.\u201d highlighted the rector. \u201cBiobanks are essential for a competitive R&D and innovation ecosystem. We are committed to further expanding the opportunities in this field, to maintaining our leadership, and to increasing the visibility of Semmelweis both domestically and internationally.\u201d Dr. B\u00e9la Merkely concluded.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dr. M\u00e1ria Judit Moln\u00e1r, Director of Semmelweis University\u2019s Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders, Head of Semmelweis Biobank Network highlighted that biobanks are collecting not only samples but also different data, so in that regard, they are important data integration centers as well. According to her, the Hungarian National Node consists of the four medical universities, the Central Hospital of Southern Pest, and a pharmaceutical company, Gedeon Richter Plc. At present, they own a total number of 500,000 samples in the field of oncology, rare disorders, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, nephrology, dermatology, opthalmology and endocrinology. Among their strategic goals, the director highlighted federated data sharing as a central aim. Semmelweis University alone has been granted 2 million EUR to develop its own federated data warehouse, to support the safe sharing of genomic and phenomic data, she noted.<\/p>\n