More than 20 years ago, the "European Renal cDNA Bank - Kröner-Fresenius Biopsy Bank" (ERCB-KFB) was established in an interdisciplinary European collaboration of kidney research centres in order to enable systematic gene expression analysis in kidney biopsies. It is a unique archive of human kidney biopsies which are specially processed for gene expression analysis. The objectives of this initiative, coordinated by the applicants, are.

i.) understanding the underlying pathomechanisms of renal diseases, ii.) identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers that can differentiate patients based on the underlying disease (diagnostic) and the long-term outcome (prognostic), and iii.) supporting the renal scientific community by translational research.