After a very busy year, EBiSC is now entering its next stage as a sustainable scientific repository! Since its inception, EBiSC has garnered a wealth of expertise through the dedication of key partners. This has been maintained via the continued participation of myself at Fraunhofer UK and of the team at Fraunhofer-IBMT, both of whom have been with EBiSC since its inception in 2014. I am delighted to announce that Fraunhofer-UK now spearheads EBiSC, serving as the primary point of contact for users and collaborators, supported by the scientific banking, cryostorage and hPSCreg teams at Fraunhofer-IBMT (both operating as not-for-profit organisations). Moving forward, orders will be processed by Fraunhofer UK, in Scotland, while Fraunhofer-IBMT in Germany will manage the central and mirror storage of cells. EBiSC remains steadfast in its commitment as a not-for-profit repository, diligently collecting and sharing a diverse collection of iPS cell lines, enabling accessibility for researchers worldwide. With this in mind, from the start of 2024 onwards, customers will be able to order directly from the EBiSC catalogue.
EBiSC was initially founded through the collaborative undertaking of large European consortia, funded jointly by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) of the European Union (EU), and members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). Whilst the first funded project phase, “EBiSC” worked to establish a working infrastructure and framework for the bank, a second phase, “EBiSC2”, aimed to ensure the implemented biobanking framework was robust, sustainable and able to continue operating long term. See more information about the history of EBiSC here.
During EBiSC2, core biobanking operations were performed by Fraunhofer IBMT, Fraunhofer UK and the European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures (ECACC, part of the UK Health Security Agency). Whilst ECACC steps away from EBiSC to focus on other developments, we are thankful for their support in implementing the plan for sustainability and I would like to say a big thank you to the whole ECACC team for their time and support during this process. Indeed, we are grateful to all EBiSC and EBiSC2 partners who committed time and energy into not only building the bank, but into making sure that EBiSC can continue collecting and sharing iPS cells and data and providing services to the research community.
EBiSC has many exciting developments in progress and I am looking forward to sharing these during 2024! Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a great end to the year.
For inquiries or collaboration opportunities with EBiSC, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Dr Rachel Steeg
Head of EBiSC