- First Regional Accreditation: EGAC grants the first ISO 20387 biobank accreditation in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.
- Comprehensive Biobank Scope: TBRI biobank accredited for acquisition, processing, preservation, and distribution of human biospecimens.
- Boost to Research Infrastructure: Accreditation strengthens Egypt’s capacity for genomics, precision medicine, and biomedical research.
The Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) has granted the first official biobank accreditation in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa to the Biobank of the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI). The accreditation was awarded in accordance with the international standard ISO 20387:2018 for biobanking, marking a historic milestone for Egypt’s national quality infrastructure and the regional biobanking landscape.
Expanding Egypt’s Accreditation Framework
This achievement represents the first successful completion of accreditation procedures for biobanking activities in Egypt. With the addition of biobanking, EGAC now operates thirteen accreditation fields, reflecting its continued expansion and reinforcing its position as one of the region’s most diversified accreditation bodies in supporting scientific and technical sectors.
Scope of the Accredited Biobank
The accredited scope for the TBRI biobank includes the acquisition, processing, long-term preservation, and distribution of human biological materials such as serum, plasma, and buffy coat. The accreditation also covers the management of associated data and information. All activities are conducted in full compliance with ISO 20387:2018, which defines the general requirements for competence, impartiality, and consistent biobank operations to ensure traceability and quality of biological samples used in research.
Strengthening Research and International Collaboration
The accreditation became effective on February 5, 2026, initiating a four-year cycle after a comprehensive evaluation by EGAC’s specialized assessment team, including technical reviews, documentation checks, and on-site assessments. The milestone strengthens Egypt’s research infrastructure, particularly in genomics, precision medicine, and liver disease research. It also comes as EGAC advances toward obtaining international recognition for biobank accreditation from the European co-operation for Accreditation, which could further enhance global collaboration and credibility for Egyptian research initiatives.
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