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U3E's ichthyological sample collection, now instituted as an official Centre de Ressources Biologiques (BRC), is notable for its size, the nature of the samples, their geographical origin and the timespan they cover. The 200,000-plus samples include tissue, scales, pieces of fin, opercula and otoliths from 26 fish species; they come from all over France, and have been collected over more than 46 years. The collection consists of three INRA fish sample collections put together: the U3E and AFB collection from the INRA AFB hub in Rennes; the collection of the ECOBIOP joint unit in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, and that of the CARRTEL joint unit in Thonon-les-Bains.

IBiSA manages access to the work of the Genomics Institute, which is under the purview of the energy research authority, the CEA. IBiSA is an official scientific partnership whose members are currently INSERM, the CNRS, INRA, the CEA, INRIA, INCa (national cancer institute), the CPU (conference of university presidents), and the DGRI and DGES departments of the Ministry of higher education and research.

IBiSA coordinates national policy on support for and official labelling of life science infrastructures and facilities. It has taken over the policy of the body previously responsible for labelling and providing technical staff support for life science facilities. It issues calls for projects to equip these facilities or enable them to promote the implementation of new technologies.