The UK DNA banking network: a "fair access" biobank

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Biobanking
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Secondary biobanks aggregate and manage resources from multiple sources.
• The UK DNA Banking Network (UDBN) operates as a secondary biobank, integrating investigator-led clinical groups with a dedicated research infrastructure.
• Existing biobanking models face challenges in secure, quality-assured sample and data management and accessibility for new research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the operational model of the UK DNA Banking Network (UDBN).
• To outline the principles and practices for fair access to biobank resources.
• To demonstrate the network's capacity to support large-scale genetic epidemiology studies.

Main Methods:

• The UDBN infrastructure provides secure, quality-assured accrual, storage, replenishment, and distribution of biological samples and associated data.
• Development of pragmatic 'fair access' principles to expedite research study design and implementation.
• Distribution of over 60,000 samples for major genotyping initiatives.

Main Results:

• The UDBN has successfully distributed over 60,000 samples.
• These distributed samples have contributed to major genotyping studies, generating over 10 billion genotypes.
• The network's 'fair access' model facilitates efficient research progression.

Conclusions:

• The UK DNA Banking Network (UDBN) provides a functional model for secondary biobanking.
• The network's approach to resource management and access can inform biobanking practices nationally and internationally.
• UDBN demonstrates a successful strategy for supporting genetic epidemiology research through efficient sample and data distribution.