Automation in biobanking from a laboratory medicine perspective

Abstract Biobanks are important infrastructures to support clinical research and developments in personalized medicine. Although biobanking is not a new invention it has gained importance in the last few years due to increased quality requirements for biological samples in biomedical research and new high resolution Omics-technologies. Moreover, quality-assured collection, processing and storage of biological samples with defined pre-analytical history plays a key role for reproducibility in scientific research and paves the path towards precision medicine. Due to the increasing need for large numbers of samples, both in basic as well as in translational research, particular attention must be paid to sample acquisition and preparation in order to guarantee the highest possible sample quality. This can be achieved by following best practices or implementation and operation of specific biobank quality management systems that are compliant with the new DIN EN ISO 20387. Moreover, automation of critical process steps in biobanking can help to reach the highest quality standard and consistent sample quality. The following article will present and discuss currently available solutions for process automation in biobanking.