Biobank
Advancing precision medicine
What is a Biobank?
A Biobank is an organized structure that collects, processes, stores, and makes available human biological samples (such as blood, tissue, and DNA). These samples are linked to clinical data and are used for scientific research purposes. Biobanks operate under ethical and legal standards to ensure donor protection and sample quality.
Our Biobank Collections
“The GIMM Biobank services allow us to store biological samples in appropriate conditions, reduced cost, in order to maximize its use and scientific productivity in the future (…)”
Professor JP da Silva, University of Coimbra
Mission
The mission of the GIMM Biobank is to establish itself as a leading infrastructure for the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of human biological samples. Its goal is to support scientific research and foster advances in translational and personalized medicine. This mission is driven by principles of quality, ethics, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Impact
The GIMM Biobank has a significant impact in scientific, medical, social, and technological domains. It contributes to scientific advancement, fosters a culture of ethical and collaborative research, and promotes innovation in translational medicine.
History
The GIMM Biobank builds upon the legacy of the iMM Biobank, an initiative of the Lisbon Academic Medical Center (comprising the Santa Maria Local Health Unit, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, and the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes – iMM).
The Biobank excelled in fostering scientific collaborations, making its samples available for innovative projects, and driving advances in translational medicine.
The transition to the GIMM Biobank marks a pivotal step in expanding the impact and reaffirming the commitment to excellence in biomedical research.
“We like to be able to match the sample to very high quality and comprehensive clinical and medical information regarding each subject. The GIMM Biobank has allowed us to do that through their clinical collaborators.”
Jon Marks-Bluth, Alchemab Therapeutics
GIMM was born from the merger of two leading research institutes: iMM (Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes) and IGC (Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência). This union strengthens research by integrating new expertise, teams, and scientific platforms.
As part of this merger, the iMM Biobank has become the GIMM Biobank. This name and branding change do not alter our purpose. The mission, activities, and commitment of the Biobank remain the same, and GIMM is committed to continuing its work.
GIMM would like to inform you of an update to our contact details and reassure you that we continue to uphold donors’ rights, including the right to information, withdrawal of consent, access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and data portability, within legal limits. To exercise these rights or for any inquiries, you may contact the Biobank Coordinator, Dr. Ângela Afonso, at angela.afonso@gimm.pt.
We would also like to clarify that iMM, as an autonomous entity, will cease to exist, and GIMM will now assume the role of Data Controller for the personal data inherited from iMM. Therefore, GIMM also provides the contact information of its Data Protection Officer, Dr. Rita Pereira Coutinho, who can be reached at dpo@gimm.pt.
On the Verge of Discovery