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Best Practices for Establishing a Biobank

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Methods in Biobanking

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 675))

Abstract

A biobank may be defined as the long-term storage of biological samples for research or clinical purposes. In addition to storage facilities, a biobank may comprise a complete organization with biological samples, data, personnel, policies, and procedures for handling specimens and performing other services, such as the management of the database and the planning of scientific studies. This combination of facilities, policies, and processes may also be called a biological resource center (BRC) (www.iarc.fr). Research using specimens from biobanks is regulated by European Union (EU) recommendations (Recommendations on Research on Human Biological Materials. The draft recommendation on research on human biological materials was approved by CDBI at its plenary meeting on 20 October 2005) and by voluntary best practices from the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) (http://biospecimens.cancer.gov) and other organizations. Best practices for the management of research biobanks vary according to the institution and differing international regulations and standards. However, there are many areas of agreement that have resulted in best practices that should be followed in order to establish a biobank for the custodianship of high-quality specimens and data.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Göran Hallmans

  2. Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Jimmie B. Vaught

Authors
  1. Göran Hallmans
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  2. Jimmie B. Vaught
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Bio Banking and Molecular Resource, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 205 02, Sweden

    Joakim Dillner

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Hallmans, G., Vaught, J.B. (2011). Best Practices for Establishing a Biobank. In: Dillner, J. (eds) Methods in Biobanking. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 675. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-423-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-423-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-995-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-423-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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