Biobanks are driving motors of precision and personalized medicine by providing high-quality biological material/data through the standardization and harmonization of their collection, preservation, and distribution. UPO Biobank was established in 2020 as an institutional, disease, and population biobank within the University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO) for the promotion and support of high-quality, multidisciplinary studies. UPO Biobank collaborates with UPO researchers, sustaining academic translational research, and supports the Novara Cohort Study, a longitudinal cohort study involving the population in the Novara area that will collect data and biological specimens that will be available for epidemiological, public health, and biological studies on aging. UPO Biobank has been developed by implementing the quality standards for the field and the ethical and legal issues and normative about privacy protection, data collection, and sharing. As a member of the “Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure” (BBMRI) network, UPO Biobank aims to expand its activity worldwide and launch cooperation with new national and international partners and researchers. The objective of this manuscript is to report an institutional and operational experience through the description of the technical and procedural solutions and ethical and scientific implications associated with the establishment of this university research biobank.

The Novara Cohort Study (NCS) is the first multidisciplinary cohort study on aging in Northern Italy. It is designed to explore aging trajectories and health outcomes in the general population. This study involves the collection of biological samples and extensive data, including socioeconomics, medical history, lifestyle habits, quality of life, and physical function. This paper outlines the rationale, objectives, and preliminary findings of the NCS pilot phase. It discusses baseline characteristics, initial biological characterization, and identifies key areas for improvement to ensure the successful implementation of the full-scale study. The NCS pilot phase enrolled participants aged 35 and older residing in Novara, Italy. The study involved the collection of biological samples, medical examinations, questionnaires, and functional tests. Data collected included demographic information, physical activity, sleep quality, diet, quality of life, mental health, medical history, and medication use. Key blood parameters were analyzed alongside clinical data.The pilot phase enrolled 123 participants, 68 (55.3%) females and 55 (44.7%) males with a median age of 65 years old. The NCS pilot participants had higher education levels, lower smoking rates, and higher physical activity levels than the general population. Blood biomarker profiling revealed significant variability across participants, offering exploratory and preliminary findings to guide the design and implementation of the larger cohort phase aimed at studying aging trajectories. The NCS pilot provided valuable initial insights into participant characteristics and identified areas for study protocol enhancement. These findings will guide refinements to optimize future study processes and outcomes, ultimately aimed at investigating the biological, social, and environmental determinants of aging in the Northern Italy area population.