Biobanking in the Year 2007

Biobanking is an emerging specialty in which competencies in cellular and molecular biology, medicine, genetics, cryobiology, bioengineering, information technology and ethics merge into a service aimed at the regular collection, characterization, long-term storage and distribution - mostly at subzero temperatures - of a large set of biological materials. Among the possible different modalities to organize biobanking activities, the operational setting and typical infrastructures of blood centers and clinical pathology laboratories seem to offer significant advantages as compared to other frameworks, with regard to sample traceability, staff qualification, largevolume operation, networking capability. In view of a broader use of biological materials and the expansion of biobanking research, efforts should be developed to harmonize local, regional, national and international regulations, guidelines, norms and laws on biobanking, and to increase the population awareness of the importance of participating in biobanking programs. We propose that the model of the ‘Biological Resource Centre’ described by the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is used as a structural and operational reference for the consolidation of multispeciality biobanking programs.