Who is ISBER?

ISBER Members represented in over 40 countriesMembers include:• Biobank professionals• Academic researchers and scientists• Industry vendors and suppliers• Government

Six biobank categories• Animal specimen• Human specimen• Microorganism culture

collection• Environmental repository• Museum repository• Plant/seed repository

Who is ISBER?

Dissemination of information on repository management issuesEducation and sharing of information within the society and communityA voice for repositories to influence regulationsDevelopment of best practice guidelinesProvision of centralized information resources for existing repositoriesBring members together to work on "hot topics”

Goals of the Society

The leading global forum that addresses key challenges relevant to biological and environmental repositories.

• Standardization• Benchmarking• Harmonization

ISBER

Standardization• Best Practices for Repositories

• Communicates most effective practices for the management of specimen collections and repositories.

• Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC)• Track and assign explicit preanalytic variations in collection, preparation

and storage of specimens.

Benchmarking• Self Assessment Tool (SAT) for repositories

• Evaluate adherence to ISBER Best Practices for repositories• ISBER Proficiency Testing (PT) Program

• Assess the accuracy of quality control assays and characterization of biospecimens

Harmonization• ISBER Working Groups and Committees (eg. Science Policy Committee)

ISBER Resources

Communicates the most effective practices for the management of specimen collections and repositoriesEffective practices for the management of specimen collections and repositoriesReflects the collective experience of its members and has received broad input from other repository professionals

ISBER Best Practices

Evaluate your repository based on the ISBER Best Practices158 questionsHelps specimen collection centers strengthen their practices through the identification of areas in need of improvementConfidential

Self-Assessment Tool (SAT)

Developed by the ISBER Biospecimen Science

Working Group

Manage and track pre-analytical variations

impacting biospecimen integrity

• Comprises 7 elements for both fluid and solid samples

• Defines the sample and primary container type,

periods of cold and warm ischemia, and subsequent

handling steps

Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC)

Allows biorepositories to:• Assess the accuracy of their quality control assays

and their characterization of biospecimens• Compare results with those obtained in other

laboratories around the world

• Identify testing problems that may be related to individual staff performance or calibration of instrumentation used in biospecimen quality control

Provides an External Quality Assessment (EQA) tool and guidance to biorepositories and laboratories testing biospecimens

Proficiency Testing (PT) Program

ISBER Membership CategoriesWhere do you fit?

Individual MembershipOrganizational Membership• Small (<11 employees )• Medium (11-50 employees)• Large (>50 employees)

ISBER Committees• Science Policy• Education and Training• Publications• Marketing and

Membership

Special Interest Groups

ISBER Working Groups• Biospecimen Science• Environmental

Biospecimens• Hospital-Integrated

Biorepositories• Informatics• Rare Diseases• Rights to and Control of

Human Tissue Samples• International Repository

Locator

Areas of Involvement

Learn more about us at www.isber.org