News Releases & Research Results Commencement of the Biobank cross-search System, where 650,000 samples and/or 200,000 data owned by seven Biobank institutes in Japan can be accessed at once

A project to develop a network of samples, data and information from three major Biobanks (including Biobank Japan, Tohoku Medical Megabank Project, and National Center Biobank Network), Clinical Bio-resource Center of Kyoto University Hospital, Bio-resource Research Center of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tsukuba Human-Tissue Biobank Center of Tsukuba University Hospital, and Biobank of Okayama University Hospital.

• The Biobank Cross-search system was developed and introduced, wherein samples and data from Japanese Biobank institutes can be accessed at once.
• Concurrent with the operation, the “Handbook for Biobank Utilization” was prepared and published to support a process to obtain consent, leading to enhancement of Biobank resource utilization and a department in charge of sample distribution.
• Future efforts will be focused on an upgrade of the Biobank cross-search system, including the addition of a search function for information on sample quality control.

This project was supported by Platform Program for Promotion of Genome Medicine of AMED.