BEACON: An Artificial Intelligence-Powered Optimized Biobank Sample Management System Leveraging Real-World Data

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research
• Biobanking
• Artificial Intelligence

Background:

• Biobanks face operational inefficiencies, underutilization of specimens, and ethical governance challenges.
• Advancing biomedical research relies heavily on efficient and ethically managed biobanks.
• Current biobanking practices often lack advanced technological solutions for optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Biobank Ethical AI Compliance and Optimization Navigator (BEACON) system.
• To demonstrate AI's potential in enhancing biobank operational efficiency and ethical compliance.
• To address challenges in specimen management and utilization within biobanks.

Main Methods:

• Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced sample management and workflow optimization.
• Integrating retrieval-augmented generation systems, embedding-based semantic search, and GPT-powered response generation.
• Validating the system through real-world collaboration with the Advancing Sight Network.

Main Results:

• BEACON demonstrated enhanced biobank workflows and improved operational efficiency.
• The system provided precise and transparent specimen allocation through AI-driven decisions.
• Validation fostered community trust via transparent and explainable AI functionalities.

Conclusions:

• BEACON offers a transformative AI solution for operational inefficiencies in biobanking.
• The system promotes equitable and sustainable biobanking operations globally.
• BEACON's modular design ensures scalability and adaptability across diverse biobank infrastructures.