Article – OpenSpecimen https://www.openspecimen.org Biobank LIMS trusted by the leading research centers Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:39:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://www.openspecimen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Fevicon-ops.png Article – OpenSpecimen https://www.openspecimen.org 32 32 An Introduction to Hardware, Software, and Other Information Technology Needs of Biomedical Biobanks https://www.openspecimen.org/an-introduction-to-hardware-software-and-other-information-technology-needs-of-biomedical-biobanks/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 08:36:33 +0000 https://www.openspecimen.org/?p=22830 Read more

]]> Biobanks support medical research by facilitating access to biospecimens. Biospecimens that are linked to clinical and molecular information are particularly useful for translational biomedical research. Tracking and managing the biospecimens and their associated data are therefore crucial tasks in the functioning of a biobank. Adequate computing hardware, efficient and comprehensive biobanking software, and cost-effective data storage are needed for proper management of biospecimens. As biobanks build up extensive stores of specimens and patient data, ethical considerations also inevitably arise. Herein, we describe some basic considerations for establishing a biobanking information technology infrastructure that a beginning biobanker needs. Finally, we also discuss trends and future needs in biobanking informatics.

This book chapter was published in Biobanking, which discusses common biobanking topics. It also delves into lesser-discussed subjects such as what is needed to start a biobank, training of new biobanking personnel, and ethnic representation in biospecimen research.

To read full chapter follow: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8935-5_3

]]> From Donor to Discovery and Diagnosis: A Comprehensive 2026 Review of International Biobanking Guidelines Underpinning Molecular Pathology-Driven Cancer Diagnostics, with a Practical Roadmap for Establishing a New Biobank https://www.openspecimen.org/from-donor-to-discovery-and-diagnosis-a-comprehensive-2026-review-of-international-biobanking-guidelines-underpinning-molecular-pathology-driven-cancer-diagnostics-with-a-practical-roadmap-for-estab/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:42:12 +0000 https://www.openspecimen.org/?p=22811 Read more

]]> Cancer diagnosis increasingly relies on molecular tests performed on stored blood and tissue samples, and the reliability of those tests depends on how carefully the samples were collected, processed, and stored. Biobanks are the facilities that safeguard these samples, and international guidelines define how they should operate. Many of these guidelines have changed in the last three years, making older summaries out of date. This review brings together, in one place, the 2026 status of the international standards, ethical and legal rules, quality requirements, and data standards that govern biobanking, and explains where each one acts along the journey from donor to diagnosis. It also offers a practical, step-by-step roadmap and checklist to help hospitals and research teams establish new biobanks that are trustworthy, sustainable, and ready to support precision cancer medicine. Finally, it sets out in practical terms how to keep the time between removing a sample and preserving it as short as possible, and how the quality of living laboratory models grown from patients’ tumors should be checked before those models are used.

 

This article was published in MDPI Cancers.

To read full article follow- https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18182974

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