The EuroBioBank (EBB) network (www.eurobiobank.org) is the first operating network of biobanks in Europe to provide human DNA, cell and tissue samples as a service to the scientific community conducting research on rare diseases (RDs). The EBB was established in 2001 to facilitate access to RD biospecimens and associated data; it obtained funding from the European Commission in 2002 (5th framework programme) and started operation in 2003. The set-up phase, during the EC funding period 2003–2006, established the basis for running the network; the following consolidation phase has seen the growth of the network through the joining of new partners, better network cohesion, improved coordination of activities, and the development of a quality-control system. During this phase the network participated in the EC-funded TREAT-NMD programme and was involved in planning of the European Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure. Recently, EBB became a partner of RD-Connect, an FP7 EU programme aimed at linking RD biobanks, registries, and bioinformatics data. Within RD-Connect, EBB contributes expertise, promotes high professional standards, and best practices in RD biobanking, is implementing integration with RD patient registries and 'omics' data, thus challenging the fragmentation of international cooperation on the field.
CurePSP Foundation, the Peebler PSP Research Foundation, and National Institutes on Health (NIH) grants R37 AG 11762, R01 PAS-03-092, P50 NS72187, P01 AG17216 [National Institute on Aging(NIA)/NIH], MH057881 and MH077930 [National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)]. Work was also supported in part by the NIA Intramural Research Program, the German National Genome Research Network (01GS08136-4) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (HO 2402/6-1), Prinses Beatrix Fonds (JCvS, 01–0128), the Reta Lila Weston Trust and the UK Medical Research Council (RdS: G0501560). The Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource provided tissue and is funded in part by a grant from the UK Medical Research Council (G0400074), by the Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in Ageing and Age Related Diseases to the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and by a grant from the Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research Trust as part of the Brains for Dementia Resarch Project. We acknowledge the contribution of many tissue samples from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center. We also acknowledge the 'Human Genetic Bank of Patients affected by Parkinson Disease and parkinsonism' (http://www.parkinson.it/dnabank.html) of the Telethon Genetic Biobank Network, supported by TELETHON Italy (project n. GTB07001) and by Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson. The University of Toronto sample collection was supported by grants from Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Brain-Net-Germany is supported by BMBF (01GI0505). RdS, AJL and JAH are funded by the Reta Lila Weston Trust and the PSP (Europe) Association. RdS is funded by the UK Medical Research Council (Grant G0501560) and Cure PSP+. ZKW is partially supported by the NIH/NINDS 1RC2NS070276, NS057567, P50NS072187, Mayo Clinic Florida (MCF)Research Committee CR programs (MCF #90052030 and MCF #90052030), and the gift from Carl Edward Bolch, Jr., and Susan Bass Bolch (MCF #90052031/PAU #90052). The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine would like to acknowledge Matt Baker, Richard Crook, Mariely DeJesus-Hernandez and Nicola Rutherford for their preparation of samples. PP was supported by a grant from the Government of Navarra ("Ayudas para la Realización de Proyectos de Investigación" 2006–2007) and acknowledges the "Iberian Atypical Parkinsonism Study Group Researchers", i.e. Maria A. Pastor, Maria R. Luquin, Mario Riverol, Jose A. Obeso and Maria C Rodriguez-Oroz (Department of Neurology, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain), Marta Blazquez (Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain), Adolfo Lopez de Munain, Begoña Indakoetxea, Javier Olaskoaga, Javier Ruiz, José Félix Martí Massó (Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain), Victoria Alvarez (Genetics Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain), Teresa Tuñon (Banco de Tejidos Neurologicos, CIBERNED, Hospital de Navarra, Navarra, Spain), Fermin Moreno (Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Ntra. Sra. de la Antigua, Zumarraga, Gipuzkoa, Spain), Ainhoa Alzualde (Neurogenétics Department, Hospital Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain).
