For Biotech Companies
Reliable biospecimens to power your research
Automated Matching to Biobanks – How It Works
What Our Members Say
Andreas Zembrzycki
SciNeuro, USA
Egbert Smit
MLA Diagnostics BV, The Netherlands
Jan Tkac
Glycanostics Ltd, Slovakia
Karin Schmitt
Mursla Bio, UK
Anonymous researcher
South SF, CA
Ninon Guichard
Galapagos, France
Stefano Palea
Humana Biosciences S.A.S., France
Liam Burke-Masterson
Genuity Science, Ireland
Fees & Services
| Trial service | Full service | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual requests | 1 | 10 |
| Additional requests | — | €300 each |
| MatchEngine results | Top 10 | Up to 100 |
| Biobank directory access | — | ✓ |
| Request directory access | — | ✓ |
| Off-platform searches | — | Up to 5 / year |
| Personalised support | Email only | ✓ Dedicated |
| Annual subscription | €500 | €3,000 |
Upgrade from Trial to Full within 4 months → €250 discount
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The Advantages We Offer
Biospecimen Provenance
Provenance is key ..
Connecting you directly with source biobanks is a core part of our service. This allows you to check the credentials of the biobank, and find out about the quality standards they follow, before you order any biospecimens.
Global Network
World-wide network ...
Biosample Hub connects you to a global network of approximately 100 academic biobanks. In addition, we have a wider network of newsletter subscribers who can also respond to biosample requests. As a result, you gain access to a vast range of biospecimen and disease types, available in diverse storage formats.
Industry-Friendly
Supportive biobanks ...
Every biobank on Biosample Hub wants to collaborate with industry partners. Their participation in our platform demonstrates their commitment to providing biospecimens to the biotech industry.
Prospective Collection
Collected to order ...
Over 75% of the biobanks on our platform offer prospective collections. This means biospecimens can be collected according to your specific requirements. Prospective collection is crucial when you need fresh and viable tissue samples.
Search
Search directories ...
Browsing our biobank directory allows you to identify biobanks that have the kind of samples you need. Then you can make contact and discuss your needs. This is great if you want to initiate a collaboration or ask the biobank to start a prospective collection for you. One advantage of our biobank directory is that all the biobanks listed really want to work with industry – that is why they joined Biosample Hub.
AI MatchEngine
AI enhanced search ...
MatchEngine automatically analyzes every research request against every biobank in our system, creating a comprehensive AI-enhanced matchmaking landscape that identifies the best partnerships.
No Contract Required
Restriction-free
You can interact freely with biobanks on our platform because we don’t require any contracts. This ensures that you face no contractual restrictions when working with us.
Financial Transparency
Transparency first ...
Our platform is operated by a not-for-profit company with no shareholders. Therefore, we reinvest any financial surpluses back into the company. All transactions between companies and biobanks occur independently of the platform, and Biosample Hub does not charge any commission.
FAQs on Biobanks & Biospecimens
Why is the origin of my biospecimens so important?
You must know the biobank of origin of your samples, so you can confirm that they follow Quality Standards. If you don’t know the origin of your samples, then you can’t be sure they come from a biobank at all. In fact, some biobank intermediaries may provide samples that come directly from the clinic, where they may not be handled according to professional standards. This is one reason sample traceability is so important.
At Biosample Hub, we put you in direct contact with hospital biobanks, so you are never in any doubt about the biobank of origin.
Does Biosample Hub handle individual patient data?
No. Biosample Hub does not process, store, or directly handle individual patient data or identifiers. Such information remains strictly confidential and is managed exclusively by biobanks and biotech companies.
Which disease types can I access?
Using Biosample Hub, you can access biosamples for a wide range of diseases, including infectious and parasitic diseases, cancers/neoplasms, and disorders of various body systems. Additionally, you can obtain normal tissues, body fluids, umbilical cord blood, and microbiome samples.
What clinical information is provided?
The amount of clinical information provided with biosamples varies between biobanks and even within collections. Therefore, you should discuss this directly with the individual biobank for the samples of interest.
What is prospective collection?
Prospective collection begins only after a request is placed, which is necessary for obtaining fresh viable tissue or when the required biospecimens are not available in the biobank. Importantly, requesters can specify:
- Biospecimen types to be collected
- Collection protocols to be used
Can I access organoids?
Yes, an increasing number of biobanks on our network will provide patient derived organoids (PDOs).
Why do quality standards matter?
Quality standards ensure the reliability, integrity, and ethical procurement of biospecimens. This directly impacts the quality of your research, regulatory compliance, and overall success of biotech projects. Some biobanks are certified to follow quality standards such as ISO 20387 and ISO 9001. In some countries (like the UK, France and Spain), all biobanks follow mandatory quality standard guidelines.
Which formats are biospecimens provided in?
Biosamples may come in various formats, including solid tissue, blood, plasma, serum, PBMCs, and other body fluids. They may be fresh and viable or stored by freezing or fixation, and they can also be processed into organoid cultures (PDO) or xenograft models (PDX).
Do biobanks provide any additional services?
Yes, many biobanks on our platform offer additional services such as DNA, RNA, or protein extraction, tissue sectioning, immunohistochemistry, quality control, cell culture, customized assays, and more.
What do biospecimens cost?
All biobanks charge fees for biosamples, and prices vary depending on factors like staffing costs in different countries. As a requester, you pay the fee directly to the biobank. Importantly, Biosample Hub does not charge any transaction fees.
Examples of biobank tariffs:
USA
Canada
Spain
France
What is snap freezing?
Scientists use snap freezing to preserve biological samples quickly by rapidly cooling them, usually with liquid nitrogen or a dry ice-isopropanol bath. Learn more here.
What is FFPE?
Researchers commonly use FFPE, which stands for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, in diagnostics and medical research. Learn more here.
Should I request serum or plasma?
Serum and plasma both come from blood after cell removal, but they differ significantly. Serum is the fluid that remains after blood clots, whereas plasma remains when clotting is prevented by using an anticoagulant and centrifugation. Whether you need serum or plasma depends on your research needs. Learn more here.