Biobank Designs

Sample size is a primary characteristic that differentiates various types of biobanking activities. Large-scale biobanks are typically employed for prospective and longitudinal molecular epidemiology research projects, whereas smaller-scale biobanks are created for specific research projects, such as case-control studies. Although large-scale biobanks are relatively recent, small collections established for targeted research projects have been more common. Many of these biobanks consist of relatively small collections, up to several thousand samples. Despite having different research focuses and often limited statistical power, these smaller-scale projects provide a valuable scientific resource that complements large-scale biobanks. Consequently, more organizations aim to link their clinical research collections under a single biobank. In the realm of medical research, there are multiple biobank formats distinguished by their design and scientific objectives. However, all biobank formats are interconnected and collectively represent a continuum within the infrastructure supporting various stages of the biomedical research process.

1.    Population-based biobanksThe main research objective of population-based biobanks is generally to discover biomarkers for disease susceptibility within a specific population through prospective molecular epidemiology research strategies. These types of biobanks typically recruit healthy donors who are representative of a region, country, or specific ethnic group.

2.    Disease-oriented biobanksCompared to population-based biobanking initiatives, disease-oriented biobanks store a much more heterogeneous collection of biological materials, which are mainly collected within the context of clinical care.

3.    Case-control biobanksCase-control biobanks can offer distinct advantages to some of the resource-intensive large-scale cohort studies. The prerequisite for meaningful case-control studies is collection of matched (age and sex as a minimum) individuals presenting a given disease with compatible healthy controls

4.    Tissue biobanksTissue biobanks represent extremely diverse collections of tissue specimens. These are generally cryopreserved at hospital pathology departments following their usual mode of sampling by invasive medical procedures.