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Biobanking Challenges and Informatics Opportunities

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Clinical Research Informatics

Part of the book series: Health Informatics ((HI))

Abstract

Biobanking is the science and practice of storing biological specimens for future use. Biobanking is an emerging field with the potential to improve our understanding of disease and develop better, more targeted treatments for many conditions. Data associated with the specimens must include information about the specimens, the donor, and the conditions (including informed consent) under which the samples were collected, processed, and stored. Biobanking is based upon the premise that the storage of biologic specimens will enable future research, including the use of advanced technologies and methods beyond what currently exists, and without associated data, samples cannot be leveraged for the future. With the completion of the human genome and the promise of personalized medicine and diagnostics, biobanking is being embraced by a variety of stakeholders, including academic institutions, government, industry, and patient advocacy groups. This wide-ranging adoption has led to the development of many biobanks for various purposes. These different categories of biobanks, from population biobanks to disease-specific biobanks, collect a variety of human specimen types, each requiring different descriptive data and associated standards for collection, processing, and storage. In this chapter, we discuss the challenges inherent in biobanking and opportunities for informatics to resolve some of these challenges.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetic Alliance Registry & BioBank, Genetic Alliance, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 404, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    Elizabeth J. Horn Ph.D., MBI & Sharon F. Terry

Authors
  1. Elizabeth J. Horn Ph.D., MBI
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  2. Sharon F. Terry
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharon F. Terry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 12901, Tampa, 33612-4799, Florida, USA

    Rachel L. Richesson

  2. College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 12901, Tampa, 33612-4799, Florida, USA

    James E. Andrews

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Horn, E.J., Terry, S.F. (2012). Biobanking Challenges and Informatics Opportunities. In: Richesson, R., Andrews, J. (eds) Clinical Research Informatics. Health Informatics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-448-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-448-5_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-447-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-448-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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