Institutional Biobanking as shared public health infrastructure: a financially sustainable service center model

Institutional biobanks are essential infrastructure supporting clinical research, translational discovery, and public health preparedness. However, many biobanks rely on institutional subsidies or unstable grant funding, creating long-term financial vulnerability. The Johns Hopkins Biobank, operating within the multi-division Genetic Resources Core Facility (GRCF), provides a practice-based example of a financially resilient model for academic biobanking. As a College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited program structured as a fee-for-service enterprise, the Biobank targets a net-zero financial balance in accordance with U.S. federal guidance for service centers. All operational costs, including personnel, infrastructure, and institutional overhead, are recovered through transparent annual storage fees and transactional service charges, enabling high-quality stewardship without reliance on external subsidy. Integration within a broader service center portfolio provides operational flexibility, supports rigorous governance and regulatory compliance, and ensures continuity during periods of fluctuating research demand. This case illustrates how aligning biobanking with institutional service center frameworks can strengthen financial sustainability, enhance accountability, and support long-term access to high-quality biospecimens as part of public health research infrastructure. This model supports public health preparedness by ensuring stable access to biospecimens critical for infectious disease response, clinical trials, and translational science. Further, it offers transferable lessons for academic institutions seeking to future-proof biobanking operations while upholding rigorous standards for quality and participant trust.