A Biobank is a collection of biological specimens retained as a resource for scientific research. The material may be tissue, blood, DNA, cultured cells, etc., It need not necessarily be human in origin. There is a database of specimens of moss plants called the International Moss Stock Center (IMSC).
It is customary for such material to be maintained in the frozen state, either at -112 deg F/-80 deg C or in liquid nitrogen, which is -196 deg C/-320 deg F. This carries with it the potential for damage if the freezer fails and also requires ten times the storage space of new methods of DNA storage, which permit material to be kept at room temperature.
Maintaining a biological database has the extra problem of maintaining the privacy of the individuals who donate the material. In Iceland alone, there are three separate laws regulating both the storage of the physical samples and the protection of the data contained within them.
The Icelandic government retains custody of the samples, whereas the ownership of the material is retained by the donor. In countries such as Estonia or Tonga, the government keeps ownership of the physical specimens while strict legislation protects the donors' privacy.
The United Kingdom Biobank, whose mission is to improve the health of future generations, has reached its target of storing 500,000 samples from donors aged between forty and sixty-nine years of age. The samples are stored in a freezer located in Stockport. The database is compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards governing Quality Management Systems and Information Security Management.
In Northern California, the Stanford Biobank has set up a system for storing the remaining embryos following in vitro fertilization treatment. In the past, scientific researchers had to develop their own informed consent forms and procedures. Not only have Stanford standardized these, but they also provide a security barrier between the donors and the researchers, providing an extra level of privacy.
It is customary for such material to be maintained in the frozen state, either at -112 deg F/-80 deg C or in liquid nitrogen, which is -196 deg C/-320 deg F. This carries with it the potential for damage if the freezer fails and also requires ten times the storage space of new methods of DNA storage, which permit material to be kept at room temperature.
Maintaining a biological database has the extra problem of maintaining the privacy of the individuals who donate the material. In Iceland alone, there are three separate laws regulating both the storage of the physical samples and the protection of the data contained within them.
The Icelandic government retains custody of the samples, whereas the ownership of the material is retained by the donor. In countries such as Estonia or Tonga, the government keeps ownership of the physical specimens while strict legislation protects the donors' privacy.
The United Kingdom Biobank, whose mission is to improve the health of future generations, has reached its target of storing 500,000 samples from donors aged between forty and sixty-nine years of age. The samples are stored in a freezer located in Stockport. The database is compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards governing Quality Management Systems and Information Security Management.
In Northern California, the Stanford Biobank has set up a system for storing the remaining embryos following in vitro fertilization treatment. In the past, scientific researchers had to develop their own informed consent forms and procedures. Not only have Stanford standardized these, but they also provide a security barrier between the donors and the researchers, providing an extra level of privacy.
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