Technological and administrative factors implementing a virtual human biospecimen repository.

The value of human biospecimens available for research dramatically increases when linked with their accumulated clinical and molecular (genomic, proteomic, subcellular modeling) data. Further, informatics tools make it possible for researchers (both intra- and inter-institutionally) to locate tissue needed for research faster and more reliably. We are developing a virtual human biospecimen repository to both inventory and link all human biospecimens with clinical and genomics data to optimize their value for research, while satisfying all privacy and human subjects protections regulations.