What is biobanking?

A biobank is a place that collects, processes, stores and distributes biological samples and related health data for scientific projects. These samples are voluntary and always stored with the consent of the participant. 

Biobanks are important  partners for research and medical progress. By analysing these samples, scientists can better understand how diseases develop, improve  diagnosis  and create more targeted treatments. This makes biobanks essential in advancing medical research and also personalised medicine that aims to tailor treatment to each patient.  

Although participants may not benefit personally from their contribution, biobank-supported research has already led to major medical breakthroughs. By contributing to biobanks, patients and participants help accelerate discoveries that will benefit many people in the future.  

Biobanks store biological samples, such as blood, tissue, cells, DNA or other biological materials. These samples are often stored  along  with data that tells its story such as sample type, its storage temperature and related medical information about the  participant, for example health data linked to diagnosis or treatment.  

The samples are carefully processed and preserved under controlled conditions to keep them usable for answering different research questions over a long time. Together, these biological samples and data are made available for medical research to support better diagnostics and treatments.  

To preserve their quality, samples are stored in  different ways  depending on the material. Some are kept in freezers at  very low  temperatures while others, like tissue pieces, can be preserved in formalin and paraffin, substances that keep them stable at room temperature for a long time. These storage methods ensure that the samples  remain  high-quality for future medical studies.  

Samples are registered, prepared  and stored using specialised equipment. They are continuously  monitored, protected  and there are procedures in place to ensure their safety in event of an emergency such as a longer blackout – biobankers really care about looking after these collections.  

Researchers  submit  requests to use samples, which are reviewed to ensure the samples are available, suitable and can be released under ethical and legal standards. Ethics committees at each biobank or biobank institution apply strict data protection and ethics rules to safeguard participants’ rights and privacy. When a sample is used for research, the participant’s data is coded to protect their identity.  

Great professional care is taken with a sample. Highly trained staff, including technical specialists  and quality management experts,  manage all areas of biobank operations. Combining advanced technology, procedures and strong ethical oversight enables biobanks to provide such high-quality samples and data.