The main purpose of biobanks is to provide private and public organisations
with biological resources to be used for research projects but unfortunately this process
is often not straightforward. Most biobanks supply biological resources to research
teams within their own organizations and have difficulty in supplying samples to
external teams. The most difficult step is to obtain a specific collaboration agreement
between the two parties. This step takes a long time and often interferes with research
planning. Moreover, most of French biobanks are administered and financed by
hospitals or public research institutes, which established the biobanks for the purpose
of supporting their own researchers. The supply of biological resources in the absence
of scientific collaboration was not a part of the original plan. Yet today these biobanks
need to supply research teams in private/commercial organisations, to promote the use
of their samples, to develop translational research and to obtain a return on investment.
The rights and needs of researchers must be take into account but priority must be
given to the valorization of the biobank. To encourage optimal use of samples and
avoid the costly conservation of unused collections, we propose a “HUB” organization
to enhance access to biological resources in France. The development of this
organization and drafting of legal agreements must take into account the following
considerations: a) the researchers’ current needs must be fully understood: this depends
on excellent communications between the HUB and legal representatives of the
research teams, and b) the availability of collections through a biobank network must
be fully understood: this depends on excellent communications between the HUB and
legal representatives of the biobanks.
Keywords: Biobanks, Biobank sustainability, Biological resource centres,
Collection, Contract, MTA, Public-private collaboration, Supply.
