Everyday researchers fuel biobanking---and international coop solves shortages
LLS 21 [Life in the Lab Staff; 12/10/21; Thermo Fisher Scientific; “Biobanking is vital for future global health research and development”; https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/life-in-the-lab/biobanking-is-vital-for-future-global-health-research-and-development/; accessed 7/16/24; Lowell-CS]
Biobanking began with a relatively grass-roots approach. Researchers began collecting and storing sample materials and developing their own methods as they amassed their respective inventories.
“It was like the Wild West,” says Erik. “People were collecting, labelling, and categorising samples however they saw fit.”
Over time, people within the community traded tips and best practices for biobanking and workflows became more standardised. Slowly but gradually, people began to see the way forward for a more standardised approach.