Installation for handling and storing biological samples at very low temperatures, in particular under cryogenic conditions, comprising: - a plurality of storage columns, each extending along a longitudinal axis and having a structure adapted to receive translationally and to house a plurality of containers each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a plurality of thermally insulated storage containers aligned in at least one row, the interior of each container being able to be subjected to very low temperatures, each container comprising in its upper part a honeycomb grid, each cell of which is adapted to receive vertically one of the plurality of storage columns; - a first gripping member, adapted to grip a storage column individually; - an articulated-arm robot with at least five degrees of freedom, referred to as at least five-axis robot, the robot arm being adapted to move in any position within a circular zone of movement, the end of the robot arm being provided with a second gripping member, adapted to grip a sample container or a multi-compartment storage box individually, each compartment being adapted to house a container; - a first Cartesian robot, arranged above the row(s) of storage containers, the first Cartesian robot having at least two axes (71, 72): a longitudinal movement axis, which is parallel to the direction of alignment of the row(s), and a vertical movement axis; the first Cartesian robot being adapted to carry and move, along its longitudinal movement axis, the at least five-axis robot, and to carry and move vertically the first gripping member; the installation being configured so that: i/ the first Cartesian robot can move the at least five-axis robot in the vicinity of any of the storage containers, ii/ the first gripping member retrieves vertically and at least partially any one of the columns from one of the cells of the storage container grid in a so-called pick-up position, iii/ the second gripping member retrieves at least one selected container in the pick-up position of the column, and vice versa. - a plurality of storage columns, each extending along a longitudinal axis and having a structure adapted to receive translationally and to house a plurality of containers each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a plurality of thermally insulated storage containers aligned in at least one row, the interior of each container being able to be subjected to very low temperatures, each container comprising in its upper part a honeycomb grid, each cell of which is adapted to receive vertically one of the plurality of storage columns; - a first gripping member, adapted to grip a storage column individually; - an articulated-arm robot with at least five degrees of freedom, referred to as at least five-axis robot, the robot arm being adapted to move in any position within a circular zone of movement, the end of the robot arm being provided with a second gripping member, adapted to grip a sample container or a multi-compartment storage box individually, each compartment being adapted to house a container; - a first Cartesian robot, arranged above the row(s) of storage containers, the first Cartesian robot having at least two axes (71, 72): a longitudinal movement axis, which is parallel to the direction of alignment of the row(s), and a vertical movement axis; the first Cartesian robot being adapted to carry and move, along its longitudinal movement axis, the at least five-axis robot, and to carry and move vertically the first gripping member; i/ the first Cartesian robot can move the at least five-axis robot in the vicinity of any of the storage containers, ii/ the first gripping member retrieves vertically and at least partially any one of the columns from one of the cells of the storage container grid in a so-called pick-up position, iii/ the second gripping member retrieves at least one selected container in the pick-up position of the column,