Author: Shonali Paul
Journal: Biobanking.com, August 8, 2019
Abstract: A biobank is an entity that stores high-quality biospecimens along with their clinical data such as demographic information, personal medical history, and lifestyle information. Biobanks also ensure that biological specimens are kept in a controlled environment and guarantee that they are collected complying with ethical and legal regulations. The primary role of biobanks is to provide these high-quality biological specimens to external entities, such as researchers, enabling them to have a better understanding of the disease. The sharing of biospecimens with researchers, in turn, improves health outcomes and personalize medicine by developing highly targeted therapies that minimize or eliminate side effects.