A new facility for storing human tissue and biological materials opened at Ebrington Square in Derry. LifeCellsNI provides the first advanced biobanking service on the island of Ireland to support medical treatments and research.

The site allows individuals, clinics, universities and companies to store blood, tissue and DNA locally. It offers cryogenic storage and laboratory processing in a cleanroom. Previously, such services required sending samples to facilities elsewhere in the UK.

LifeCellsNI works toward licensing from the Human Tissue Authority. Catherine King founded the facility to fill an infrastructure gap in Northern Ireland's healthcare sector.

King stated the site enables health trusts and life sciences firms to store samples without building their own facilities. Stored materials support regenerative medicine, cancer care and personalised therapies.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt attended the launch. He noted partnerships between health services and research organisations help deliver clinical trials in Northern Ireland.