Central Biorepository

The Central Biorepository (CBR) facilitates discovery and improves healthcare outcomes by providing high-quality, highly annotated biospecimens donated for basic, clinical, and translational research.

Make an Appointment
Photo of CBR director opening a liquid nitrogen tank and pulling out stored samples.
Photo depicting the CBR biorepository. Containing liquid nitrogen storage tanks and other cold storage.
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Take a Virtual Tour!

Learn more about the U-M Medical School Central Biorepository by taking a virtual tour of the facility. Get details on the CBR process and information about equipment and services available to study teams.

How we Serve Your Biobanking Needs

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Access Biospecimens

The Central Biorepository enables access to an array of sample types from participants enrolled in a variety of research studies.

Learn More About Accessing Biospecimens
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Biobanking

With collection support and biostorage management, the Central Biorepository is a world-class enterprise resource for U-M researchers and beyond.

Learn More About Biobanking
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Biospecimen Processing

The Central Biorepository offers a variety of biospecimen processing services and creates sample collection kits in support of biomedical research programs.

Learn More About Biospecimen Processing
Photo of CBR liquid nitrogen tanks in the storage room

Equipment & Instrumentation

The Central Biorepository uses specialized equipment and laboratory robotics to safely store and automate biospecimen processing.

Learn More About Equipment & Instrumentation

Through the Central Biorepository, our world-class U-M faculty researchers have access to high-quality, highly annotated biospecimens that are safely stored and processed.

Victoria Blanc, PhD
Director, Central Biorepository
Photo of Victoria Blanc, PhD

CBR FY26 At a Glance

924,000+
Biospecimens Stored
47
Research Studies
23,000+
Samples Distributed

How the CBR can Benefit Your Research

How the UMMS Central Biorepository Can Benefit Your Research

Contact Us

Central Biorepository
Medical School Office of Research
North Campus Research Complex, Building 60-1661
2800 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Hours of Operation: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday

Want to provide feedback? Click here to access a brief survey about your CBR service. 

Phone Number: 734-647-8809
College of American Pathologists logo

We're Accredited – The Central Biorepository is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Biorepository Accreditation Program.

Upcoming Research Events

All Office of Research Events
9 8 2026 10:00 am 9 8 2026 - 3:00 pm

10x Genomics Office Hours

Get your questions answered, troubleshoot challenges, or walk through your experimental design to find the platform that best fits your research needs with 10x Genomics and the BRCF Advanced Genomics Core.
Event runs September 08, 2026 - December 08, 2026
The U-M North Campus Research Complex
9 8 2026 12:00 pm 9 8 2026 - 1:00 pm

Identifying Your Model: Engineering what you need

Join the BRCF Transgenic Animal Model Core for a complimentary lunch while you learn how to make your own model.
A cell being engineered
9 8 2026 1:00 pm 9 8 2026 - 2:00 pm

U-M Resources for Therapeutic Innovations Webinar (Part of the Rogel Cancer Center Innovation Program)

Learn more from this webinar series featuring case study lectures from experts in the field.
FFMI Mukesh Nyati lab
9 15 2026 11:00 am 9 15 2026 - 2:00 pm

Researchpalooza

Join exhibitors from labs and offices of the Medical School and across campus for this annual event showcasing the services provided to research faculty, staff, and students.
people at Researchpalooza event outdoors
9 17 2026 2:00 pm 9 17 2026 - 3:00 pm

The Funding Forum

Join the Grant Services and Analysis Research Development (RD) team on Zoom every third Thursday at 2:00 pm for the Funding Forum – a 60-minute session designed to help UMMS faculty gain an advantage in grant seeking and proposal development.
Event runs May 21, 2026 - December 17, 2026
A person sits at a laptop at BSRB.
9 22 2026 10:00 am 9 22 2026 - 11:00 am

Best Practices for Preparing Large Team Grant Proposals

The Large Team Grant Core hosts a virtual seminar addressing best practices for submitting complex, interdisciplinary grant proposals.
group in a meeting at a table seen from above
10 8 2026 2:00 pm 10 8 2026 - 4:00 pm

Central Biorepository Open House

Get an inside look at a state-of-the-art facility that helps researchers access, collect, manage, process, protect, and share human biospecimens at Michigan Medicine. Join the Central Biorepository (CBR) for an upcoming Open House and tour our molecular and biorepository facilities, where we process and safely store over 900,000 biospecimens.
Photo of a woman standing in front of a long term storage freezer pulling out a rack of biospecimen
10 12 2026 8:00 am 10 12 2026 - 6:00 pm

Dean's Lecture Symposium

The Dean's Lecture Symposium will offer a day of panel sessions, a poster session, and keynote speaker Sean Morrison from UT-Southwestern.
stem cells
10 13 2026 10:00 am 10 13 2026 - 3:00 pm

10x Genomics Office Hours

Get your questions answered, troubleshoot challenges, or walk through your experimental design to find the platform that best fits your research needs with 10x Genomics and the BRCF Advanced Genomics Core.
Event runs September 08, 2026 - December 08, 2026
The U-M North Campus Research Complex

Featured Research News

All Office of Research News
Photo of Mathew Innes
Office of Research

Mathew Innes Appointed Director for Clinical Research

The Medical School Office of Research (OoR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mathew Innes, MBA, as the Director for Clinical Research in the Medical School Office of Research, effective Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
FFMI FCVC Cell Regeneration Core Andre Monteiro da Rocha
Office of Research

Frankel Cardiovascular Cell Regeneration Core Builds Industry-Ready Pathways for Human Cardiovascular Cell Models

With support from the FFMI Business Development team, the Core formalizes a new industry collaboration and looks ahead to expanded partnerships in drug discovery and disease modeling
Image of an investigator at a meeting with two other people. Investigator is on their computer as the other two people are looking at documents. It only shows individuals from the neck down.
Office of Research

Upcoming Changes to Clinical Research Billing Coverage Analysis Process

To align Michigan Medicine with current best practices, a new process will be implemented to support robust clinical research billing coverage analysis. Starting this September, coverage analysis will be created centrally for all new clinical trials with billable items and services and will include citations of national and local care determinations.