Wroclaw Medical University Biobank: From BBMRI-ERIC Quality Label to ISO 20387 accredited

Wroclaw Medical University Biobank (WMU Biobank), one of the leading BBMRI.pl biobanks and responsible for implementing common QMS solutions in the Polish Biobanking Network, has just received ISO 20387:2018 Biotechnology – Biobanking – General requirements for biobanking accreditation (no. BB 001).

This marks the final stage of accreditation for the biobank. The team began their journey in 2021 by achieving the BBMRI-ERIC Quality Label – this demonstrates a biobank is working to ISO standards.

From Quality Label to ISO 20387

By April 2022, the team went a step further and achieved ISO 20387 accreditation. The final step, and highest confirmation of their ISO award by the PCA, confirms that WMU Biobank meets the requirements of ISO 20387: 2018 and that it is fully competent in the field of biobanking.

On receiving the news of WMU Biobank’s achievement, Andrea Wutte – Head of Quality Management at BBMRI-ERIC – said:

“It is a remarkable development for BBMRI-ERIC and for our biobanks to get these ISO accreditations after being awarded “Q-label” by our Quality Management team!”

What it means

The scope of accreditation is “Biobanking of human biological material as well as related information and data” regarding peripheral blood, cerebrospinal fluid, secretions and excreta (urine, feces, saliva, nasal swabs, human milk, tissues).

The accreditation provides scientific partners with a guarantee that the entire life cycle of the biosamples and the associated data complies with the highest quality and safety standards, which can only be secured by ISO 20387:2018 accreditation. The accreditation process started in 2021 and was performed by Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA).

Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz PhD, head of WMU Biobank said:

“We hope that the obtained accreditation will be a driving force for the international projects and wider cooperation with the industry”.

Agnieszka will be presenting ‘Paving the Path to ISO 20387 Accreditation in WMU Biobank’ during Europe Biobanking Week Roadshow 2022 in Regensburg, Germany.