The project aims to research the use of the biological samples (biomaterial) collected and stored in the banks of biological material (biobanks) associated in the BBMRI-CZ research infrastructure in order to increase the scope and the quality of scientific research and its results.

The project has three basic objectives reflected in three research programmes (RP). The objective of RP1 is to broaden both the spectrum and the quantity of obtained biomaterials for their processing and direct use within the project (including the sustainability period) and further on. The samples will be used not only within IS BBMRI-CZ, but will be also prepared for the needs of research institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad. This will broaden the spectrum of malignant neoplasms (kidney, prostate), as well as obtaining samples from non-oncological patients (gastroenterology and cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology).

The purpose of RP2 is the modification, optimisation and standardisation of the procedures for the primary processing of biomaterials and the conditions for the long-term storage of samples (preanalytic phase), in order to minimise the loss of quality of the samples, while using a minimum volume thereof for the subsequent examination of cellular-molecular processes. The aim is to characterise and explain the changes occurring in the samples at the molecular level during preparation and storage, in order to define the optimal conditions for the storage of tissues with a maximum yield for the study of different types of biomarkers. A partial objective is the development of methods allowing the simultaneous detection of nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites, while maintaining intact the macromolecules or the quality of the sample. Another partial project within RP2 will be to compare the quality of the processed samples across each of the nodes of BBMRI_CZ, and to subsequently standardise and optimise the preparation of the provided biomaterials.

RP 3 includes the study of the etiopathogenesis of malignant neoplasms and non-cancer diseases and the research of the biomarkers in the samples obtained. Research is focused primarily on explaining the etiopathogenesis of malignant neoplasms (carcinoma of the uterus and cervix, ovarian carcinoma, colorectal tumours, head and neck malignancies, urologic malignancies, renal, testicular and prostate malignancies, as well as tumours of the eye). The study of the potential biomarkers useful in the subsequent clinical research and potentially applicable in routine clinical practice will vary according to each of the studied diagnoses

The project will involve the procurement of the necessary instrumentation and technical equipment that will complement the initial infrastructure, while laying the foundation for the scientific-research activities carried out under RP1-3 with the latest cellular-molecular approaches. Ultimately, the adoption of new technologies, processes and the use of new equipment will lead to an improvement in the quality of research in diagnostics; respectively, the explanation of the etiopathogenesis of both non-cancer diseases and malignant neoplasms of different fields of medicine.