The Context and State of the Art in European Biobanking

Abstract

This chapter examines the context and state of the art in European biobanks and biobanking. Specifically, it seeks to provide an overview of the emergence, function, and practice of the current European biobanking landscape. It begins by looking at the emergence of biobanks and biobanking, exploring the Human Genome Project (HGP). The chapter then focuses on genomic research—the activity biobanks support—and considers its social significance and prospects. Against this background, it offers a definition for the concepts of biobank and biobanking. This definition is then used to map the range of types of biobanks, and biobanking activity, identifiable across Europe. The chapter concludes with a consideration of trends which will define European biobanking in future.