On March 17, 2026, the new large-scale sample storage facility of the Heidelberg Cell and Liquid Biobank (CLB) was inaugurated on the Heidelberg Medical Campus. The state-of-the-art facility can store more than five million patient samples automatically and under the strictest quality standards. It serves as the central infrastructure for patient-oriented research at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University.

Cell and liquid samples such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and immune cells are archived in two systems: up to 240,000 samples at minus 196 degrees Celsius in cryopreservation and up to 2.6 million at minus 80 degrees Celsius – expandable to 5.2 million. The warehouse is located in the basement of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg. Regular operations are already underway; samples were symbolically stored at the celebration.

The CLB emerged from existing structures at the NCT and the Clinic for Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD). It is gradually being expanded into the central resource for the entire campus. It was financed by funds from the Dietmar Hopp Foundation (1.36 million euros for the cryosystem alone), the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, as well as own funds from the faculty and the UKHD.

All process steps – from consent and pseudonymization to processing and dispensing – are fully documented in a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Each sample can be tracked around the clock and temperature-monitored. Automation keeps temperatures stable even during removal, replaces many decentralised freezers and saves energy. This will create additional laboratory space and higher storage capacity.

Dean Prof. Dr. Michael Boutros described the Biobank as a strategic investment in the future for Heidelberg as a research location and strong national and international partnerships. Project leader Prof. Dr. Carsten Müller-Tidow emphasized that high-quality, reliable samples form the foundation of modern medicine. Automation guarantees speed, consistent quality and maximum safety for reproducible research.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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