Biobank Management | graduate

In two years after the Bachelor level, ESTBB educates executives prepared to hold responsibility positions in biobanking.

Biobanks, or biological resource centres, are becoming indispensible elements in the landscape of medical, academic and industrial research. In recent years, they have been rapidly increasing in size, which has resulted in the appearance of new professions:

  • biobank manager
  • person in charge of the biobank technical platform (sample transport, storage, analysis, ...)
  • advisor to sample collectors and users
  • person in charge of scientific and technological monitoring, of legal or ethical issues, quality assurance and control
  • ...

To keep up with these changes, ESTBB has set up a Master programme preparing to these interdisciplinary professions, adding legislation, ethical and management courses to the solid biological education.

Semester dates:

  • 1st semester : August 15 - January 31
  • 2nd semester: February 1 - August 14

The date of the beginning of the academic year:

  • about October 1st for the 1st and 2nd year students

Courses in English

Some courses are taught in English, for example as invited lectures by international experts.

Nine months of obligatory biobank placements

The curriculum includes nine months of obligatory placements scheduled within the two years of the programme.

Jobs after graduation

After two years of studies, the graduates are recruited by private and public biobanks:

  • academic laboratories
  • hospital biobanks and laboratories
  • companies (pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries)
  • non-profit organisations

Diploma level

The granted diploma is equivalent to the Master of Science according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Curriculum

A transdisciplinary curiculum

Scientific modules

  • The different biospecimens and their analyses
  • Sampling and biospecimen conservation methods
  • Databases and data management for biobanks
  • Clinical research and epidemiological methods
  • Insertion of biobanks in the scientific community

Biobanking modules

  • Quality applied to biobanks
  • Legislation of biobanks
  • Bio-ethics of biobanks

Methodological tools

  • Team management
  • Project management
  • Financial management

Intercultural communication
French/English language

Developed skills and competencies

Scientific and technical coordination of a biobank: ensuring biospecimen security during storage and transport, coordination of biospecimen flow, biospecimen annotation, processing, and analysis

Ethics and legislation: knowing the deontology and the rules that apply to biospecimens, application of national and international biobank legislation

Technological transfer and innovation: setting up technological platforms, monitoring technological development, harmonising biospecimen collection

Information management and communication: participation in the development and management of a database, ensuring biospecimen traceability, making collections available, advising to collectors and users, communicating on the biobank activities, participating in the biobank international networking

Management: coordinating a team of laboratory assistants and bioinformaticians, developing quality assurance and control, development and coordination of scientific and technological projects