CY-Biobank soon unveils new website and submits a joint proposal for carrying out local research on COVID-19

Despite the extension of the restrictive measures regarding mobility on the island, amid the spread of  COVID-19, throughout April, the team of the new Research and Innovation Center of Excellence (CoE thereafter) of the University of Cyprus in Biobanking and Biomedical Research, CY-Biobank continued to work in full cylinders and with all the dedication, both at a research, as well as a communications level.

While joining the rest of Europe and the globe in working from home, and some laboratory technicians and researchers working in alternate shifts, the CY-Biobank team persevered in preparing the ground for the island-wide donors campaign that is expected to be launched as soon as the island and the rest of the world return to normal working and social conditions.

Launch of new website and social media channels

During this period, special care was also given to preparing the necessary communications and multimedia interactive tools with the wider public and the academic and research community, that will be utilised in order to further attract and enhance the outreach with volunteer donors. All this technology and apparatus will be embedded and sported in a brand-new interactive website, that will allow the volunteer donors to use the web in order to apply online for arranging their appointment for donations. The website will also feature a more user-friendly layout and significant upgrades in relation to the use of CY-Biobank’s social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Soundcloud and Youtube that will allow much more immediate contact with the wider public and all the stakeholders of the various CoE’s projects. The new website is expected to go live in the beginning of June, so stay tuned with the next newsletter to find out more, as we will also unveil our new URL.

CY-Biobank and  COVID-19

Meanwhile, the Director of CY-Biobank, Professor Deltas continued in the period under review to be invited by several mass media, radio and TV stations, to offer his expertise in disseminating information regarding the new corona virus and the COVID-19 pandemic, in lay language. Greek speakers can click on to watch, read and listen to Prof. Deltas’ interventions on the Cypriot media.

At the same time, and more importantly so, this last month, the CY-Biobank team has been working intensely, in cooperation with the Medical Schools of the Universities of Cyprus, Nicosia and the European University  Cyprus, in order to implement a new, widely ranged, scientific research, which will concern the impact of the corona virus pandemic on the island. While writing these words to you, the consortium is expecting the approval of the proposal by the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee.

Catch up with us again in May’s edition of the BBMRI-ERIC newsletter.

• The CY-Biobank project is co-funded by the European Commission (15 million Euro), the Republic of Cyprus (15 million Euro) and the University of Cyprus (8 million Euro), and is implemented by the University of Cyprus, BBMRIC-ERIC, the Medical University of Graz and the Cypriot Consultancy Firm RTD Talos.