The Malta Biobank is the first Maltese archive of DNA and tissues such as blood. It will pave the way for innovative medical research for the Maltese public’s benefit. It has the potential to find new cures for diseases specific to Malta such as thalassaemia and diabetes. Its success will depend on the public’s participation.

The plan is to collect 4,200 samples, a representative sample pool of the population- Joanna Vella

The biobanking facility at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of the University of Malta houses seven new ultra-low temperature freezers.

These could be set at minus 90ºC, colder than Antarctica, for long-term storage of samples. It also has a new secure data storage system. All this equipment ensures that people’s donated samples are kept safe and secure.

Genetic research in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics started in the late 1980s with the Thalassaemia Project, since this blood disease is common in Malta. The project is anchored within the newborn genetic testing service. Over the past 20 years numerous research projects have been carried out on blood genes such as KLF1 (Kruppel-like Factor 1), Parkinson’s Disease, Type 2 diabetes and coeliac disease.

The Malta Biobank has two main arms: the Clinical Bank that currently holds 10,000 samples and the Population Bank which holds 16,000 samples. To date the Malta Biobank stores DNA and blood together with associated health and lifestyle data.

The Clinical Bank contains different disease collections such as the haemoglobin disorder collection, diabetes and Parkinson’s while the Population Bank is made up of the random neonate collection and the senior citizen collection.

The Malta Biobank is a founding member of Euro Bi Bank (EBB), a Europe-wide network of DNA, cell and tissue banks for rare disease research, and it provides very high standard procedures for biobanks. It is also a member of the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI) of the EU designated as the BBMRI-Malta node by the Government of Malta.

BBMRI is a large pan-European consortium of biobanks for rare and complex diseases that provides unique access to European collections, data and resources.

The Malta Biobank is a vital tool to promote gene discovery research in many complex disorders. In these cases a few genes may imply higher risk. The quantification of genetic risk may improve personalisation of care.

The plan is to collect 4,200 samples, a representative sample pool of the Maltese population, and associated health information. The collection will take off from ante-natal classes and with informed parental consent will continue with newborn cord blood samples and extended to the newborn’s family members. Individuals of different ages and gender will be included in the study to have a representative sample collection.

The University of Malta Research Ethics Committee has given the green light for the further development of the Malta Biobank after thorough assessment to ensure safety, security and privacy to volunteers.

The entire project is subject to conditions of informed consent as signed by the donor. This ensures that the rights and obligations of research participants are fully respected, while providing the means to help themselves and future generations.

The Malta Biobank and the Malta Genome Project is funded by the Government of Malta, the University of Malta and the European Regional Development Fund, Operational Programme 1 – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013.

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