Biovault’s expertise spans cellular therapies, allograft procurement, support services and consultancy. Biobanking is one thing we do, but we’re more than a biobank. We’re a bioresource.
WHAT IS A BIOBANK?
It’s an important question because the term is relatively new, and its definition is still evolving.
The word biobank entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2008 with the definition:
A collection of biological samples and associated information organised systematically for research purposes
The Merriam-Webster definition is:
A storage place for biological samples (such as human tissue, blood, or DNA) that may be used especially for future medical research
These and other standard definitions are consistent with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) general requirements for biobanking (ISO 20387:2018) and emphasise biological storage and research.
They accurately describe biomedical databases like UK Biobank, which contains de-identified information and biological samples from half a million UK participants to enable research but doesn’t routinely release samples to hospitals for patient care.
Basic principles of biobanking. Definition, classification systems, key aspects, international standards required for accreditation and infrastructures needed to ensure quality and networking. (Image credits: Virchows Arch 2021 Jul 13;479(2):233–246. doi:10.1007/s00428-021-03151-0; BioRender: https://biorender.com/)
some problems with the name ‘biobank’
Biobanking and trust
In a financial context, banking can mean depositing, storing or saving. Similarly, cells and tissues are deposited and safely stored at Biovault. Our own name is derived from this essential purpose and promise. However, we prefer “biovault” and “biotrust” to “biobank” as these emphasise an ethical commitment that has sadly been eroded in the public’s mind by banks and banking in recent years.
Biobanking as a meaningful activity
A second problem is that, according to standard definitions, biobank and biobanking are both nouns. No major dictionary lists ‘to biobank’ as a verb. Yet biobanking is certainly an activity that we perform every day at Biovault. In fact, it’s an activity filled with complexity and nuance, belied by its name. Different tissues and cells are processed and stored for a host of purposes, each with a range of requirements that must be discerned and assiduously followed if the storage and subsequent application are to be a success. Certainly, we’re more than just “a big fridge”. [1]
As Daniel Catchpoole writes in his response to Biobank: What's in a Name? “Biobanks are not special, but biobanking is. It is not about the noun, but the verb. The passage of biospecimens from donor to researcher scientist is fundamental, and always has been, to meaningful translational research.”
“Discussion around biobanks tend to center on capacity—“my biobank is bigger than your biobank” type arguments…. But is a resource with 1 million biospecimens that nobody wants or can get access to any better than one with a thousand samples that is actively fed into research investigations?”
In the same article, William Grizzle writes, “My concern is that each of these names [e.g., biobank, biorepository] emphasizes storage, and… the growing inventories of biobanks suggest that these entities are not placing adequate emphasis on biospecimen distribution and, hence, utilization.”
Biobanks and medical releases
If, as the definitions above imply, a biobank is essentially a repository and data set in the service of knowledge, where do our cellular therapies, patient releases and allograft services fit in? In other words, what if you need to make a withdrawal?
The transplant services, orthopaedic surgeons, and oncologists we work with depend on us not only for storage but crucially for the flawless processing and release systems that make lifesaving and enhancing procedures possible.
Catchpoole argues that “Calling each a “biobank” masks this finer nuance…” and concludes, “I hate the word biobank because it means too many things to the point that it means nothing.”
Grizzle agrees and suggests: “bioresource” as a “dynamic” alternative.
biovault as a bioresource
We’re proud to be a trusted biobank, but biobanking is just one thing we do. Here are some of the services we offer as a pioneering bioresource.
Cellular therapies We’re regulated by the MHRA and hold a WDA(h) license, enabling us to provide lifesaving cellular therapies to transplant services around the country.
Allograft provision Alongside our partners at Int2Med, we can provide surgeons and patients with high quality bespoke products quickly and dependably.
Problem solving The appropriate processing of human tissues and cells is enormously complex, ranging in a single week from whole limbs to viral vectors, medical evidence to bioresearch materials. Biovault’s big difference is that we are connected to a network of experts that make us uniquely curious and determined to rise to any challenge and to be honest about the utility and viability of any materials we look after.
Regulatory services We’re regulated by JACIE, the HTA and MHRA, giving us an enormous breadth of knowledge and experience that we are happy to share to raise health standards. Our values are: Experienced, Ethical and Pioneering, and we live them everyday in our work.
Contingency planning We have the space and expertise to help peer and partner companies in the case of a planned or emergency suspension or reduction or service.
sources
Marlton, cited in Biobank: What’s in a Name?, recalls a politician who, tasked with officially opening a brand-new biobank, requested to see the new facility and, upon leaving, was heard to exclaim, “All it is, is a big fridge.”