A Minimum Data Set for Sharing Biobank Samples, Information, and Data: MIABIS

Numerous successful scientific results have emerged from projects using shared biobanked samples and data. In order to facilitate the discovery of underutilized biobank samples, it would be helpful if a global biobank register containing descriptive information about the samples existed. But first, for shared data to be comparable, it needs to be harmonized. In compliance with the aim of BBMRI (Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure), to harmonize biobanking across Europe, and the conclusion that the move towards a universal information infrastructure for biobanking is directly connected to the issues of semantic interoperability through standardized message formats and controlled terminologies, we have developed an updated version of the minimum data set for biobanks and studies using human biospecimens. The data set called MIABIS (Minimum Information About BIobank data Sharing) consists of 52 attributes describing a biobank's content. The aim is to facilitate data discovery through harmonization of data elements describing a biobank at the aggregate level. As many biobanks across Europe possess a tremendous amount of samples that are underutilized, this would help pave the way for biobank networking on a national and international level, resulting in time and cost savings and faster emergence of new scientific results.