Scope of the MIABIS Biobanking and Biomolecular Services

Motivation

As the needs of researchers evolve, so must MIABIS. The transition from MIABIS Core v2 to v3 revealed a clear demand for richer, more structured information about biobank capabilities and biomolecular services. In order to connect researchers with the right resources more effectively, MIABIS must expand beyond core sample metadata to include detailed, domain-specific scientific service data. This project paves the way for future domain-specific extensions to the MIABIS framework.

Objective & Scope

The following suggestions outline the initial scope of the proposed changes, subject to refinement during implementation:

• Enhanced Attribute Structure: Additional attributes are proposed to provide detailed information on biobank capabilities and services. This may involve introducing a new entity parallel to the existing "collection" entity, along with a one-to-many relation table extracted from the biobank base.
• Expanding Service Categories: The types of support biobanks offer to researchers vary widely, ranging from structural assets to bioprocessing services. While the 3rd version of MIABIS Core identified these service groups, their adequacy and alignment with current practices need verification. Refining the description of services could reshape the current solution.
• Flexible Categorization: Some services defy linear categorization and may benefit from alternative structures such as matrices or tags, offering greater flexibility for researchers. Exploring these possibilities can enhance the usability of the MIABIS model from the researcher's perspective.

By addressing these suggestions, the proposed changes aim to foster improved communication and collaboration between biobanks and researchers within the MIABIS framework.

Methodology

1. Collection and harmonisation of existing project and network requirements.
2. Discussions with domain experts and different stakeholders (biobanks, core facilities, researchers) within the MIABIS working group.
3. Survey of the resulting proposal with use case representatives.
4. Analysis and consolidation of the survey results within the MIABIS Operations group.

Resulting

Resulting data describing the Biobanking and Biomolecular Services Component

Collaborative Projects and Networks

• canSERV: Cutting-Edge Cancer Research Services Across Europe
• ISIDORe: Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research
• EVOLVE: Accelerating datafication for support of EU health priorities, greening of biobanks and integrated approach to “One Health”
• GBN: German Biobank Network
• BBMRI.PL: the Polish Biobanking Network
• BBMRI.IT: the Italian Biobanking Network
• The MIABIS Working Group