BIOBANKING
The evolving science of biobanking
Mark Reed explores the evolving science of storage, archiving and retrieval of bacteria and fungi, examining how culture collections, regulatory frameworks and technological innovation have shaped contemporary practice and highlighting the operational, ethical and quality considerations that now define effective biobanking.
Biobanking has become a cornerstone of modern biomedical science, underpinning advances in diagnostics, epidemiology and personalised medicine. Alongside the rapid expansion of human tissue and serum banks, the long-term preservation of microorganisms has assumed growing importance, providing essential reference material for clinical laboratories, research institutions and public health services worldwide. As the term biobanking suggests, the
practice of storing material of a biological origin safely over short or long periods of time remains of paramount importance with respect to reliability, quality, safety, proven reliance and compliance. Essentially, a biobank is a ‘bank’, a safe, trusted and secure facility or equipment set up for valuable assets to science. Biobanking offers an ever-expanding resource for research, analysis, epidemiological and statistical analysis, and an educational application resource from large and diverse populations in numerous scientific applications in many areas and disciplines of science. The availability of diverse, high-quality samples and associated data is valuable for advancing personalised or precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to an individual’s unique genetic makeup and disease characteristics. As an estimate there are currently
over 570 biobanks from 20 member states in Europe that form the Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure BBMR-ERIC Network. Originally established in 2013 under EU legislation, enabling the development of innovative technology and processes as a cross-domain network that facilitates responsible access to high-quality samples, data and biomolecular resources. Members of the network can be classified in several ways depending on their controlling entity; be that government, commercial, private, or private research institution. It is interesting to note the majority are not for profit. Biobanking is marked by evolution of
Biobanking offers an ever-expanding resource for research, analysis, epidemiological and statistical analysis, and an educational application resource from large and diverse populations.
biorepositories from small, university- based repositories to large, government and commercial biorepositories. Of particular note and reputation is the biobanking practice established in Framingham, Massachusets in 1948, the ‘Framingham Heart Study’, with a cardiovascular study that continues today. As we look at the number of biobanks or biorepositories today operating worldwide, the development of science worldwide would not be, and could not have become, what it is today without this important and essential practice. This includes research that led to the Human Genome Project in 1990 and the complete publication of the human
April 2026
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