BACKGROUND
The Health Science Alliance (HSA) Biobank was established in 2012 as a collaborative initiative between the South-Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), NSW Health Pathology (NSWHP, then known as South-Eastern Area Laboratory Service, SEALS) and the University of NSW (UNSW). At that time, compiling collections of human tissue to create biobanks was a global development, with cancer researchers amongst the most prolific users. After 10 years the biobank now has a new name and lessons have been learnt about operating sustainably into the future.
AIM
To transition from a universal, ‘classic’ cancer biobank to a more sustainable model, expanding an established translational resource to help answer a wide range of health and disease research questions.
METHODS
A wide-reaching review was undertaken, examining the anticipated biospecimen and data needs for UNSW-affiliated researchers. Building on the established infrastructure, governance structure and relationships established within the hospitals and pathology service, UNSW sought to retain the HSA Biobank, incorporating it as a core research facility.
RESULTS
The HSA Biobank is now the Health Precincts Biobank, part of the newly restructured UNSW Biospecimen Services (formerly UNSW Biorepository). Core business remains the acquisition and clinical annotation of resected tissue, predominantly from cancer cases; the collection reflects areas of surgical strength within the participating hospitals. Alongside the biobank, which deals with allocation of already acquired biospecimens and data, UNSW Biospecimen Services can assist those researchers requiring bespoke, prospective collections in all necessary aspects in establishing and managing their own collections.
CONCLUSIONS
The Health Precincts Biobank as part of the broader UNSW Biospecimen Services is built upon the success of the HSA Biobank. Importantly, this provides more than just a continuing collection of biospecimens but leverages the wider infrastructure to allow for expansion beyond cancer. Valuable lessons in sustainability from the HSA Biobank are informing future directions.