biobanking
Storing biological samples
Biobanking is the collection, processing, and storage of biological samples—blood, tissue, DNA, cells—for research purposes.
Biobanks serve as repositories that allow scientists to study diseases, develop treatments, and conduct genetic research: The hospital's biobanking program has collected over 50,000 tissue samples.
The practice raises ethical questions about consent, privacy, and ownership of biological materials.
Low-temperature biological preservation
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
- liquid nitrogenCryogenic form of air's main component
- long-term storageKeeping things for years
- cryoprotectantSubstance preventing ice damage
thawing · cooling rate · cold chain · freezing · storage conditions · cryogenic · stabilization
- blood samplesExtracted bodily fluid portions
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- serumBlood's watery portion
- DNA samplesBiological specimens for testing
saliva · urine · cells · microbiota · cord blood · stem cells · whole blood · stool samples
Permission for treatment
- clinical trialsControlled health research experiments
- diagnosticsMethods identifying problems
- therapeuticsStudy of healing interventions
- oncologyCancer medicine specialty
epidemiology · precision medicine · drug discovery · personalized medicine
Determining element order
- genotypingAnalyzing DNA variants
- polymorphismMany forms, one interface
- allelesVariant forms of genes
- nucleic acidsBiopolymers carrying genetic code
gene expression · epigenetics · pharmacogenomics · hereditary · chromosomal · genetic diversity
Adding scannable product stripes
- inventory managementOverseeing stored merchandise levels
- quality controlMaintaining production standards
- standard operating proceduresDocumented routine processes
- accreditationOfficial quality approval
data security · annotation · metadata · chain of custody · audit trail · sustainability · automation · harmonization
cryopreservation
Low-temperature biological preservation
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
- liquid nitrogenCryogenic form of air's main component
- long-term storageKeeping things for years
cryoprotectant · thawing · cooling rate · cold chain · freezing · storage conditions · cryogenic · stabilization
tissue samples
- blood samplesExtracted bodily fluid portions
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- serumBlood's watery portion
DNA samples · saliva · urine · cells · microbiota · cord blood · stem cells · whole blood · stool samples · hair follicles
patient consent
Permission for treatment
- clinical trialsControlled health research experiments
- diagnosticsMethods identifying problems
- therapeuticsStudy of healing interventions
oncology · epidemiology · precision medicine · drug discovery · personalized medicine
sequencing
Determining element order
- genotypingAnalyzing DNA variants
- polymorphismMany forms, one interface
- allelesVariant forms of genes
nucleic acids · gene expression · epigenetics · pharmacogenomics · hereditary · chromosomal · genetic diversity
barcoding
Adding scannable product stripes
- inventory managementOverseeing stored merchandise levels
- quality controlMaintaining production standards
- standard operating proceduresDocumented routine processes
accreditation · data security · annotation · metadata · chain of custody · audit trail · sustainability · automation · harmonization · interoperability
biobankingresource depletion
Exhausting available materials gradually
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