Unlocking the power of veterinary samples – BBMRI.at partner presentation in BBMRI.QM webinar
To enhance the possibilities for comparative medicine an expert from BBMRI.at partner VetBiobank from University of Veterinary Medicine presented on the significance of veterinary samples and associated data in a BBMRI-ERIC seminar webinar.
Veterinary samples & data for comparative medicine
Veterinary samples and data from animal hospitals are – similar to their human counterparts – an important resource for animal health research. But not only for animal health research. They offer a great potential for comparative medicine, where similarities and differences in biology between animals and human health and diseases are studied.
However, the potential benefits of animal samples often remain underestimated, although the integration of veterinary biobank collections, like those from BBMRI.at partner VetBiobank, can add valuable findings for both human and animal medicine. High-quality of samples and data is of utmost importance for reliable research.
BBMRI.at partner VetBiobank
From patient treatment to sample collection to transport and processing, the samples provided by the BBMRI.at partner VetBiobank follow the requirements of the ISO or CEN standards such as those for sample pre-analytics. Many of the samples are collected from companion animals such as cats and dogs, which are exposed to the human environment and can develop similar diseases and age-related conditions. This makes these samples crucial for research in comparative medicine. The VetBiobank aims to network these collections within the BBMRI-ERIC community and Vet-partners and acts as a key contributor to raise awareness of the importance of animal sample collection not only for animal health but also human health.
The University of Veterinary Medicine, along with its VetBiobank, has been a fully integrated BBMRI.at consortium member since BBMRI.at’s foundation in 2013. The biobank benefits from the knowhow and services offered by BBMRI.at and BBMRI-ERIC, and in turn contributes their animal-specific knowledge. Collaboration with biobanking initiatives such as BBMRI-ERIC will enhance the impact and success of this research.
VetBiobank guest lecture in BBMRI-ERIC seminar
In the BBMRI-ERIC seminar (on 10 Sep 2024) titled “Unlocking the Power of Veterinary Samples – A Promising Source for “One Health” Research”, Dr. Monika Wieser gave interesting and informative insights on the sample and quality management collected by VetBiobank. “Animal and data samples are fundamental for One Health and must be recognized as a valuable resource for their contribution to comparative medicine”, emphasized Dr. Wieser. BBMRI.at with its Work Package on “Veterinary Biobanks: Potentials & comparative medicine/OneHealth” aims to raise awareness of the importance of veterinary/animal biobanks being part of the European Biobanking Research infrastructure BBMRI-ERIC and its national hubs in the member states. The VetBiobank experts in BBMRI.at are convinced: “Collaboration with biobanking initiatives such as BBMRI-ERIC will enhance the impact and success of this research”. Other organizations with animal or veterinary biobank collections should also reach out the BBMRI-ERIC and its nodes to benefit from the services in quality management, ELSI, and data management including the BBMRI-ERIC Directory.
