The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute’s biological material bank has significantly expanded its storage capacity with two robotic units for storing biological samples at cryogenic temperatures in liquid nitrogen vapor, at a total cost of 32.6 million CZK. These units are located in the newly constructed pavilion of the Center for Cancer Prevention. Thanks to these units, storage capacity will increase by up to 320,000 positions (a combination of 1- and 2-ml tubes).
The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute’s biological material bank has significantly expanded its storage capacity with two robotic units for storing biological samples at cryogenic temperatures in liquid nitrogen vapor, at a total cost of 32.6 million CZK. These units are located in the newly constructed pavilion of the Center for Cancer Prevention. Thanks to these units, storage capacity will increase by up to 320,000 positions (a combination of 1- and 2-ml tubes).
These cryopreservation devices, also known as “smart freezers,” will significantly streamline key biobanking processes related to the long-term storage, subsequent retrieval, and dispensing of specific biological samples. The systems are capable of operating on the principle of “cherry picking”—that is, relocating individual samples to defined positions within the internal storage unit—or handling and storing entire cryoboxes. Each sample is assigned data regarding its movement within the hospital and the temperature at which it was handled, as well as the identification of the operator who initiated the handling, which helps maintain quality standards at the highest possible level.
The acquisition of robotic systems will not only significantly increase storage capacity in liquid nitrogen vapor at temperatures ≤ −150 °C but will also eliminate the so-called “dead space” in storage vessels, which commonly occurs in manually operated containers due to the continuous retrieval of biological material.
At the same time, the robotic system will significantly reduce the physical strain on biobank staff when storing and dispensing samples. To give you an idea of the level of physical effort saved: When retrieving 20 samples from a manually operated container, a biobank technician must lift a rack weighing about 5 kg up to 20 times (assuming that each sample is placed in a different box and a different rack or container), which is very similar to a full-fledged weight-training workout.
The investment was funded through the project “Development and Modernization of the National Biobank Network (BBMRInv)” (registration number CZ.02.01.01/00/23_015/0008196), co-financed by the EU under Programme Johannes Amos Comenius.
From June 9–11, 2026, together with our Slovak colleagues from the recently established BBMRI.sk node, we visited three biobanks—one Austrian and two Czech. All of the facilities we visited are part of the BBMRI-ERIC network.
The Biobank of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (IHBT) Prague has reached a significant milestone in the area of quality assurance and standardization of biobanking processes. It is the second biobank in the Czech Republic to obtain accreditation ČSN EN ISO 20387:2021 standard, which is an internationally recognized standard for the competent, impartial, and consistent operation of biobanks.
