Biobank Data Management - Multiple Challenges, One Solution

Author: Shonali Paul, COO at CloudLIMS.com

Venue: IBS 2023

Abstract: In the past two decades, increased demand for quality biospecimens to better understand the genetic makeup of diseases has sparked the demand for biobanking. As biobanks strive to deliver on the demands of modern research, they perform several activities including sample acquisition, collection, sample preparation, storage, testing, analysis, and distribution. And along with the samples, maintaining sample data is of prime importance, without which, the samples remain unusable for research. The responsibility of safeguarding donor information, such as donors’ medical history, informed consent, and demographic information is with biobanks. In performing the twin key responsibilities of managing samples and associated data, and maintaining donor consent and information, biobanks face a myriad number of challenges including securely managing the biographic information of a large volume of samples, maintaining the confidentiality of metadata derived from samples, enforcing standard operating procedures, and more….