The Andalusian Public Health System (SSPA) Biobank achieves ISO 20387 accreditation

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The Andalusian Public Health System (SSPA) Biobank has achieved ISO 20387 accreditation for the deposit, quality control and distribution of human pluripotent stem cell lines as a Node of the Spanish National Stem Cell Bank (BNLC).

In Spain, there is a legal obligation to deposit the human pluripotent stem cell lines – that is, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) – in the BNLC, guaranteeing their availability for biomedical research. The deposit and distribution of these cell lines is carried out by the BNLC’s nodes, promoting their quality. That was why the SSPA Biobank selected this activity as the first schedule of accreditation.

Commenting on the achievement, Andrea Wutte, Head of Quality Management at BBMRI-ERIC, says: 

“I warmly congratulate the Andalusian Public Health System Biobank on achieving ISO 20387 accreditation. This significant milestone reflects a clear commitment to internationally recognised quality standards and highlights the growing excellence of accredited biobanks across the BBMRI-ERIC community.” 

Although the SSPA Biobank is ISO 9001 certified, ISO 20387 accreditation has been the result of an organizative and economical investment mainly for the maintenance and calibration of critical equipment, defining acceptance criteria, and the participation in external quality assessment (EQA) programs.

On the other hand, accreditation has meant an effort for the revision of personnel competences and the verification of methods. Additionally, quality control of data has been revised as well as the content of the report has been modified in compliance with ISO 20387.