Top Performing Biobanks

Established in 2010, the Indiana Biobank’s mission is to aid researchers in discovery research that may lead to better ways to treat and prevent disease. The Indiana Biobank features a broad collection protocol which allows researchers to collect a variety of sample types (including plasma, serum, DNA, RNA, PBMC, urine, saliva, and remnant samples) linked to the electronic medical record. Participants consent for future, unspecified use of their samples and de-identified clinical data by academic and commercial researchers. The Indiana Biobank utilizes a hybrid approach of remote and in person consenting and offers visual and video consent options in English and Spanish which encourages a diverse participant population.

The Indiana Biobank has DNA banked on over 50,000 research participants, which includes pediatrics. Forty percent of these participants have more than 20 years of EMR data available, while an impressive 9% have more than 30 years of data available. Clinical data can be pulled retrospectively and prospectively, creating a resource for looking at outcomes.

In addition, the Biobank offers targeted sample collections in which samples are prospectively collected to meet a researcher’s specific needs. For example, the Biobank can intentionally enroll patients in a certain stage of disease who have been on certain medications and meet specific demographics, essentially creating the cohort of interest to researchers. In addition to diseased populations, the Biobank offers control samples matching to a researcher’s specifications.

The institution advances this targeted approach through its commitment to accelerating the discovery and development of better therapies, support of clinicians in encouraging research participation, and dedication to supporting both academic and industry discovery. As a result, the Indiana Biobank can provide hard-to-find samples in areas like PTSD, Stargardt Disease, and traumatic brain injury, to industry partners through the support of Biosample Hub.