An installation for handling and storing biological samples at very low temperatures, notably under cryogenic conditions, comprising: - a plurality of storage boxes with multiple compartments, each compartment being adapted to house a container each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a plurality of storage columns, each extending along a longitudinal axis and divided into a plurality of storage drawers, termed racks, each adapted to receive by translation transversely to the longitudinal axis one of the plurality of boxes; - at least one storage receptacle, with thermal insulation, the interior of which is adapted to be subjected to very low temperatures, comprising in its upper part a cellular grid in which each cell is adapted to receive vertically one of the plurality of columns; - a transfer station comprising a transfer table on which an operative can place one or more boxes with multiple compartments, termed transfer boxes (2 T), each compartment (20 T) of which is also adapted to house one of a plurality of containers each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a station for loading/unloading the storage boxes one by one, comprising a table, termed a waiting table, at least one extraction means for extracting any of the storage boxes, from a rack of a column position in said station, and moving it to a position placed on the waiting table, and at least one pusher means for pushing a box, from its position placed on the waiting table, into an empty rack of a column positioned in said station; - a station for loading/unloading the containers one by one, comprising a table, termed a handling table, adapted to support at least two boxes with compartments, one of which is the transfer box and the other of which is a selected one of the storage boxes; - at least one robot, comprising a gripping member (80, 81, 82) adapted to grip the upper end of a storage column, or of a storage box, or of a container, the robot(s) being adapted to enable movement of the gripping member or members with six degrees of freedom; the installation being configured so that the gripping member (80, 81, 82) of the robot can simultaneously: i/ move the transfer box (20 T) from the transfer table onto the handling table, ii/ extract any of the columns from one of the cells of the grid of the storage receptacle and then move it into the station for loading/unloading the boxes in a position such that the extraction means can extract a selected storage box on the waiting table, iii/ move the selected storage box from the waiting table onto the handling table, iv/ extract any of the receptacles one by one from one of the compartments of the selected storage box, positioned on the handling table and move it into one of the compartments of the transfer box (20 T), and vice versa with the pusher means to push a selected storage box into an empty rack of a column positioned in the station for loading/unloading the boxes. - a plurality of storage boxes with multiple compartments, each compartment being adapted to house a container each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a plurality of storage columns, each extending along a longitudinal axis and divided into a plurality of storage drawers, termed racks, each adapted to receive by translation transversely to the longitudinal axis one of the plurality of boxes; - at least one storage receptacle, with thermal insulation, the interior of which is adapted to be subjected to very low temperatures, comprising in its upper part a cellular grid in which each cell is adapted to receive vertically one of the plurality of columns; - a transfer station comprising a transfer table on which an operative can place one or more boxes with multiple compartments, termed transfer boxes (2 T), each compartment (20 T) of which is also adapted to house one of a plurality of containers each adapted to contain one or more biological samples; - a station for loading/unloading the storage boxes one by one, comprising a table, termed a waiting table, at least one extraction means for extracting any of the storage boxes, from a rack of a column position in said station, and moving it to a position placed on the waiting table, and at least one pusher means for pushing a box, from its position placed on the waiting table, into an empty rack of a column positioned in said station; - a station for loading/unloading the containers one by one, comprising a table, termed a handling table, adapted to support at least two boxes with compartments, one of which is the transfer box and the other of which is a selected one of the storage boxes; - at least one robot, comprising a gripping member (80, 81, 82) adapted to grip the upper end of a storage column, or of a storage box, or of a container, the robot(s) being adapted to enable movement of the gripping member or members with six degrees of freedom; i/ move the transfer box (20 T) from the transfer table onto the handling table, ii/ extract any of the columns from one of the cells of the grid of the storage receptacle and then move it into the station for loading/unloading the boxes in a position such that the extraction means can extract a selected storage box on the waiting table, iii/ move the selected storage box from the waiting table onto the handling table, iv/ extract any of the receptacles one by one from one of the compartments of the selected storage box, positioned on the handling table and move it into one of the compartments of the transfer box (20 T),