Call for projects PREANALYTICS

The standardization of the pre-analytical process for microbiota research is part of an ongoing process of improvement and harmonization. The use of biological data from samples collected in clinical trials and cohorts provides a solid basis for understanding the interactions between the environment, the microbiota, and its host. However, this exploitation requires robust and reliable data from the samples collected in order to provide relevant answers to the research questions of the studies, but also to enable the development of other preventive or therapeutic research, through study groups or new national and international research studies.

Unlike their most advanced European neighbors in this field, French biobanks do not yet have a shared and/or interoperable information system that would provide a comprehensive overview of existing high-quality collections, enabling their reuse.

The PREANALYTICS focus project of the PEPR SAMS aims to develop a platform for harmonizing pre-analytical processing procedures for biological samples.

The aim of this call for projects is to bring together existing expertise and infrastructure in France and to establish a national bank of human microbiota samples through a national network (the French Microbiome Biobank) of up to 5 or 6 Biological Resource Centers (CRB) spread across mainland France and its overseas departments and territories (excluding Ile-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône Alpes).

The Biological Resource Centers will work according to common processes in conjunction with the AP-HP Biobank platform for Microbiota Research (BARM) to establish the French Microbiome Biobank.

At the end of this call for proposals, the Biological Resource Centers will benefit from the following advantages:

1. Access to a standardized, uniform, and interoperable sampling process for any researcher in France wishing to conduct clinical research with biobanks for studies on the microbiome
2. Continuous visibility on the availability of biological collections, backed by high-quality phenotypic data and compliant with regulations allowing their use
3. Improved access and quality of analytical processes

The eligibility criteria are detailed in the text of the call.