Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere

Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere (FCBT) is a university hospital biobank founded and funded by Wellbeing services counties of Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia, Kanta-Häme and Tampere University. FCBT began its operations year 2015.

Finnish biobanks, including FCBT, offer a unique research infrastructure, to promote biomedical research and development. 

Biobanks collect human-derived samples (e.g., tissue, blood, cells, DNA) and sample-related data from individuals who have given their biobank consent for biomedical research and product development purposes. FCBT is a unit affiliated with a university hospital, and the samples it collects, along with related information, are utilized for research purposes in accordance with Tampere University Hospital's research strategy.

FCBT collects and stores samples from patients and individuals within its own cooperation area. However, these samples can be utilized for healthcare research and development globally. In addition to hospital collections, FCBT has conducted targeted consent and sample collections focusing for e.g., oncology, neurology, gastroenterology, pediatrics, and maternity clinics. Biobank samples are stored in Tampere.

The biobank's operations are based on legislation, as defined in the Finnish Biobank Act. The biobank activities are supervised by the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea. 

Finnish biobanks form a national biobank network, in which FCBT is participating. The sample material collected through this network, combined with a wide range of sample donor’s health/clinical, genomic and Finnish registry data, has attracted international interest from researchers. The coordination of collaboration among public biobanks in Finland is overseen by the Finnish Biobank Cooperative - FINBB.

FCBT serves both academic researchers and R&D clients in medical and pharmaceutical companies. Biobanks are thus a key resource leading to more personalized health care, better diagnostics and effective treatments.

The Finnish biobank materials and studies performed, can be found from Fingenious.fi. 

Contact Information

Email addresses follow the format firstname.lastname@pirha.fi.

Biobank Office Phone: +358 3 311 65205
Email: biopankki@pirha.fi 
Street Address: Arvo Ylpön katu 6, Tays Central Hospital, Finn-Medi 1, 1st floor
Mailing Address: Tampereen Biopankki, P.O. Box 2000, 33521 Tampere

Our Experts 

Biobank Director Sanna Siltanen
Phone: +358 44 4722 657

Development Manager Kimmo Savinainen
Phone: +358 50 590 7515

• Development and research projects of the Biobank, laboratory activities, cooperation areas OmaHäme and HyvaEP, cooperation with authorities and ministries, Biobank quality manager

Service Coordinator Leena Viiri
(Deputy to Enni Makkonen)
Phone: +358 44 473 9745

• coordination of research at Biobank, pre-studies and donation requests, service activities of the Biobank, scientific steering group

Research Coordinator Niina Toikkanen
Phone: +358 44 472 8425

• Fresh tissue collection, pathology-related projects, processing of histological samples. Coordination of research related to tissue samples and cancer research.

Information Systems Specialist Sami Niemelä
Phone: +358 44 472 9918

• Information systems and related maintenance and development work for the Biobank.

Laboratory nurse Minttu Virolainen
Phone: +358 3 311 66026 or +358 44 472 8840

• Laboratory activities of the Biobank

Research Secretary Pirjo Pääkkönen
Phone: +358 3 311 66757

• Document and contract management, documentation, coordination, preparation of procurements and decisions.