Background Effective translational biomedical research hinges on the operation
of'biobanks,'repositories that assemble, store, and manage collections of human specimens
and related data. Some are established intentionally to address particular research needs;
many, however, have arisen opportunistically, in a variety of settings and with a variety of
expectations regarding their functions and longevity. Despite their rising prominence, little is
known about how biobanks are organized and function beyond simple classification …