Future of biobanks – bigger, longer, and more dimensional

Abstract

Collections and repositories of biological samples that are used for research and medicinal purposes are referred to as biobanks. Biobanks focused on genetic epidemiology are currently dominating the field of biomedical research. This is clearly seen in the research priorities across Europe, where numerous biobanks have been developed and supported (1,2). Even the most superficial overview of these biobanks suggests a large variety of approaches in terms of their size, target population, sampling scheme, phenotyping extent, or biological samples that are being collected. Majority of biobanks are sampling apparently healthy subjects, who may be originating either from general or special populations. Special populations like isolated island populations are highly interesting research targets, due to their greater chances for successful gene mapping (3), arising from the isolated populations’ genetic structure (4).