P³G Cores are key work units of P3G, focused on specific issues related to biobanks, with full-time personnel having expertise on specific issues related to biobanks, such as methodologies for: integrating data: validating new technologies for biochemical analyses or genotyping: research into public engagement into relevant governance and ethics questions, analysis methods in population genetics related to merging data from biobanks collected using different study designs, etc. Thus, the Cores have an important research focus, as opposed to providing services (such as genotyping).

In many cases, P³G Cores sit side-by-side with a group already involved with a biobank initiative, thus leveraging the local expertise for rapid transfer of current knowledge for the benefits of the entire P3G community, yet without disrupting the deployment of the operations related to the local biobank team.

Core activities are reported on a regular basis to the IWGs.

P³G is designed to have a modular structure to allow flexibility in adding multiple P³G Cores. It is expected that some countries will want to create P³G Cores with similar themes (ie. epidemiology, or, ethics): given the complexity and different approaches that can be developed for conducting analyses across biobank/cohort studies, more than one Core having similar research themes can be established.