Biobanking is the systematic collection, processing, storage and distribution of biological samples, such as blood, tissue, DNA or cells, together with their associated data, for research and clinical use. A biobank is only as valuable as two things: the quality of its samples and data, and storage that keeps every sample unchanged for years.
Personalised medicine, genomic research, cell and gene therapy and recent pandemic research all depend on well-documented sample collections. This guide explains the main types of biobank, how a sample moves through a biobank from consent to distribution, which standards apply, and where cryogenic storage fits in.
A biobank is far more than a freezer full of tubes. It brings together three elements: the sample, the data that describe it (origin, collection time, processing, clinical information, donor consent), and the processes that keep both traceable for the full storage period. Lose any one of them and the sample loses its scientific value, even if it is still physically intact.
The terms biobank, biorepository and biospecimen repository are often used interchangeably. In every case they describe an organised, quality-managed collection that does not simply keep samples, but holds them ready for future use.
Common sample types include:
Each sample type has its own processing and temperature requirements. Viable cells, for example, only survive long-term biospecimen storage with their function intact if they are frozen at a controlled rate and then kept at cryogenic temperatures without interruption.
Biobanks are usually classified by purpose. The boundaries are fluid, and many institutions run several types under one roof.
Population biobanks collect samples and health data from a large, broadly representative group of people, often over many years. The aim is to link genetics, lifestyle and environment to disease before it develops. UK Biobank, with around 500,000 participants, is the best-known example. Qatar Biobank, a Consarctic® reference customer, follows the same model.
These focus on specific conditions such as cancer, neurodegenerative or rare diseases. Samples come mainly from patients and are linked to detailed clinical follow-up data. Tumour banks at university hospitals are the typical case.
Clinical biobanks hold samples collected within clinical studies, often under GCP or GMP conditions. They support biomarker analysis, drug development and regulatory submissions, so documentation and chain-of-custody requirements are especially strict.
Cell and tissue banks store viable material for therapy and research: stem cells, cord blood, cell lines and master cell banks for biologics and cell therapy manufacturing. Blood services such as the Finnish Red Cross and the German Red Cross operate collections of this kind and are also among Consarctic®'s references.
Almost every biobank follows the same sample life cycle. Errors made early cannot be corrected later.
Consent and collection: donors give informed consent for the use of their samples and data. Collection time and conditions are recorded.
Transport to the lab: the interval between collection and processing, the pre-analytical phase, has a strong effect on sample quality and is logged.
Processing and aliquoting: samples are centrifuged, separated and split into many small aliquots, so a later request never requires thawing the whole collection.
Freezing: viable cells are frozen at a controlled cooling rate, typically around –1 °C per minute. A controlled rate freezer such as the BIOFREEZE® records every run.
Long-term storage: samples go into cryovials or cryobags, then into racks and cassettes, and finally into cryogenic tanks or ultra-low freezers.
Distribution: samples are retrieved for approved projects and, where needed, shipped to partners in dry shippers.
Each step is captured in a laboratory information management system (LIMS), so the location and storage history of every sample can be reconstructed at any time.
The central international standard is ISO 20387:2018, Biotechnology — Biobanking — General requirements for biobanking. It covers competence, impartiality and quality management, traceability of samples and data, and storage and monitoring conditions. Biobanks can be accredited against it. What that means for equipment is covered in our article on ISO 20387 certification requirements for biobanks.
The ISBER Best Practices, published by the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories, are the most widely used practical reference alongside the standard. Biobanks that hold material for clinical use must also meet GMP requirements and the applicable tissue or medicinal product regulations. In Europe, the GDPR governs donor data.
The right storage temperature depends on sample type and planned storage time. For short-term storage of DNA or serum, –20 °C or –80 °C is often sufficient. For viable cells and for storage over many years, liquid nitrogen (LN₂) at down to –196 °C, or its vapour phase below –150 °C, is the standard. Below about –135 °C, biological activity effectively stops. Our guide to choosing the right temperature for biological sample storage compares every range.
Consarctic®'s stainless steel BSD+ Series and BSF+ Series tanks are designed for biobanks, stem cells and pharma. According to the datasheet, a BSF820R+ holds up to 48,000 × 2 ml cryovials or 960 × 500 ml cryobags, with static evaporation of 10.3 litres of LN₂ per day. The eccentric tank opening with a rotatable bottom reduces heat ingress during access and cuts LN₂ consumption by up to 30 %. For smaller or working collections, the aluminium ABV+ Series containers are an option.
Racks and cassettes from Consarctic®'s cryogenic furnishing systems give every sample a unique, addressable position. Automatic liquid nitrogen supply with FMCS Touch and NRT3010 refill units keeps fill levels constant. The integrated monitoring system with Biolog® software records temperature, fill-level and event data for each container, which is exactly the evidence ISO 20387 auditors ask for.
Biobanks almost always grow faster than planned. Sizing the room, LN₂ supply and exhaust for the final build-out avoids expensive retrofits later. Our article on scaling biobank infrastructure from 10,000 to 1,000,000 samples shows how to add capacity in stages, and the guide to a turnkey biobank from planning to commissioning walks through a new build step by step.
Many biobank samples cannot be replaced: longitudinal samples collected from the same people over years, tissue from rare diseases, or material from completed trials. An unnoticed temperature rise in a single tank can put thousands of them at risk at once.
That is why professional biobanks use several layers of protection: vapour-phase storage, critical collections split across more than one container, continuous monitoring with round-the-clock alarm forwarding, and a service team that can be on site quickly. Consarctic®'s 24/7 emergency service responds within hours, 365 days a year. Consarctic® is certified to EN ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 9001:2015, and its own certified technicians carry out installation and operational qualification (IQ/OQ). You will find the full solution set on our biobanking and cryopreservation page.
Biobanking is the collection, processing, storage and distribution of biological samples, such as blood, tissue, DNA or cells, together with their data, for research and clinical use. Its value rests on sample quality, complete documentation and stable storage over many years.
The main types are population biobanks, disease-oriented biobanks, clinical trial biobanks, and cell and tissue banks. Many institutions combine several of these. They differ mainly in who donates samples, which data are linked to them and how strict the regulatory requirements are.
The key standard is ISO 20387:2018, which sets general requirements for biobanking, including quality management, traceability and storage conditions. The ISBER Best Practices are widely used alongside it, and GMP applies to material intended for clinical use.
It depends on the sample and the storage period. DNA and serum are often stored at –80 °C. Viable cells and samples intended for long-term storage are kept in liquid nitrogen at down to –196 °C or in its vapour phase below –150 °C.
Planning a new biobank or expanding an existing collection? Talk to the experts at Consarctic®, the market-leading provider of cryogenic technology for the life sciences. We plan your complete cryogenic infrastructure, from controlled rate freezers to storage tanks, monitoring and transport, and deliver it GMP-ready with IQ/OQ.