title: A Plan for Academic Biobank Solvency-Leveraging Resources and Applying Business Processes to Improve Sustainability.
abstract: Researcher-initiated biobanks based at academic institutions contribute valuable biomarker and translational research advances to medicine. With many legacy banks once supported by federal funding, reductions in fiscal support threaten the future of existing and new biobanks. When the Brain Bank at Duke University's Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADRC) faced a funding crisis, a collaborative, multidisciplinary team embarked on a 2-year biobank sustainability project utilizing a comprehensive business strategy, dedicated project management, and a systems approach involving many Duke University entities. By synthesizing and applying existing knowledge, Duke Translational Medicine Institute created and launched a business model that can be adjusted and applied to legacy and start-up academic biobanks. This model provides a path to identify new funding mechanisms, while also emphasizing improved communication, business development, and a focus on collaborating with industry to improve access to biospecimens. Benchmarks for short-term Brain Bank stabilization have been successfully attained, and the evaluation of long-term sustainability metrics is ongoing.
authors.affiliation: Duke Translational Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uzarski
authors.affiliation: Duke Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vroom
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Short
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D000329:Advertising / Q000191:economics; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005380:Financing, Government; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics; D018803:Models, Economic; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009657:North Carolina; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: biobanking; biomarker research; sustainability