Biobank

A biobank is a facility or organization that collects, stores, and manages biological samples (biospecimens) and associated data for use in research and health-related studies. Biospecimens may include blood, plasma, serum, urine, tissue, DNA, RNA, cells, and microbiome samples, often accompanied by phenotypic, clinical, and lifestyle data. Biobanks may operate on a population basis, with longitudinal cohorts collecting samples from large groups of individuals, or be disease-oriented, focusing on samples linked to a specific condition such as cancer or neurodegenerative disease. Some biobanks maintain virtual catalogs or networks where samples are stored at multiple sites but cataloged centrally.

Core activities include collection, processing, cryopreservation, storage, data annotation, quality control, and governance. Standards and best practices are provided by professional bodies such as ISBER and ISO 20387, and data management relies on robust privacy protections and data security to prevent misuse.

Consent and ethics: Biobanks typically require informed consent for research use. Models vary from blanket or broad consent, to dynamic or tiered consent, with governance structures to review research requests and ensure compliance. Privacy protection includes de-identification or pseudonymization, controlled access, and data-use agreements. Reuse of samples for future studies requires governance and, in some jurisdictions, regulatory oversight.

Data sharing and interoperability: Researchers may access de-identified data and samples via controlled access mechanisms to enable collaboration while protecting donor privacy. Legal frameworks such as GDPR in the European Union and HIPAA in the United States regulate handling of personal data; national laws shape material transfer agreements and usage conditions.

Impact and challenges: Biobanks support translational and population health research, enable biomarker discovery, and contribute to precision medicine and drug development. Challenges include obtaining consent for future uses, ensuring sustainability, standardization, and maintaining data security and sample quality.