Biobanking Networks - What are the Governance Challenges?

Over the last 10 years we have seen considerable investment in new biobanks as well as a growing recognition of the importance of existing sample collections for secondary research purposes. Considerable effort is being put into ensuring that common standards are developed for new and existing biobanks in terms of standard operating procedures; the development of new methods and software for data and sample collection; and the development of template forms for informed consent and material transfer. The aim of standardization is to improve quality, increase efficiency and better facilitate research so that researchers can access, use, and compare data and samples from many biobanks. Many organizations are involved in the development of standards, which undergo a process of formulation and agreement; implementation; and then verification and updating. Examples are projects such as P3G1 (population biobanks) and PHOEBE2 (epidemiological biobanks and longitudinal cohort studies), as well as international organizations such as ISBER3 (biological samples).