title: Biobanking trends, challenges, and opportunities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the different interests and needs of industry and academic users of human biomaterials.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the current literature and interviews with involved parties. Questionnaires were e-mailed to assess current attitudes towards biobanking and opinions of trends and implications for the future. The organisations included commercial biobanks, charitable foundations, academic biobanks, and hospital sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biobanks have the potential to have a critical impact across several industrial sectors, and their future success will depend on satisfying the differing needs of each group. There is a growing need for greater collaboration between researchers and biobanks, and if the involvement of industry is not sought by biobanks to create conditions that support the effective use of resources, there is a risk that samples will not be collected or used to the best advantage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is evident that industry can play a vital role in the innovation process of biobanking, both in terms of the collecting and processing methods and the nature of the disease and sample types collected. With this feedback, biobanks can be utilised effectively to advance research to the benefits of all to the best advantage.
authors: Tissue Solutions Ltd., Glasgow, UK.
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Mackenzie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000639:trends*; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000639:trends*; D030541:Databases, Genetic / Q000639:trends*; D036281:Genetic Research; D006801:Humans; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards*