A new wind in the West German Biobank: Denise Zwanziger takes over management

A new wind in the West German Biobank: Denise Zwanziger takes over management

On August 15, 2025, PD Dr. Denise Zwanziger is the director West German Biobank Essen (WBE), a central service facility of the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen. This biobank plays an important role in medical research by storing donated sample material together with pseudonymized data from patients at the Essen University Hospital and its subsidiary clinics.

The WBE is committed to researching the causes of disease and improving diagnostics and therapy. PD Dr. Denise Zwanziger, who previously worked as laboratory manager in the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism and as deputy head of the central laboratory for research and teaching, emphasizes the growing importance of academic biobanks. She pays particular attention to compliance with ethical and legal guidelines in research.

The role of biobanks in research

Biobanks are of great importance for medical research because they not only collect biospecimens but also store them for research purposes. There are different types of biobanks: from small project-based collections to larger, thematically open research biobanks. These are operated by both academic institutions and private companies. All biobanks are subject to the same ethical and legal requirements, which are not codified in Germany and the EU.

The legal framework for biobanks is based on civil, criminal, professional law and data protection law. In the case of drug studies, the Medicines Act and EU Regulation 536/2014 are also relevant. Research with body materials must always comply with the professional obligation to consult with the ethics committee.

Ethical and legal aspects

An essential aspect in the use of biosamples is the so-called informed consent, i.e. the informed consent of the sample donors. This is crucial for the ethical and legal permissibility of the research. In order to ensure donors' consent, a working group developed sample texts for information and consent that are designed for different groups, such as adult donors or minors and their parents.

These clear guidelines and requirements ensure that the use of biospecimens, whether within or outside of clinical drug trials, is ethical. Particularly in the context of clinical studies, biospecimens are often collected, the use of which is crucial for the research results.

Overall, it is clear that the responsibility of biobanks goes beyond simply storing samples. The need to comply with ethical standards and legal frameworks makes them indispensable partners in medical research.

Further information about biobanks can be found in the detailed reports and publications from BBMRI can be read, which comprehensively address the special features and challenges in biobank research.