Critical role of biobanks in COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Proper collection of infectious biosamples is critically important for better understanding of the disease pathogenesis and health. 'these precious samples are stored in biobanks. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the recently discovered novel coronavirus named SiRS-COV-2. Currently, specific drugs are not available against this virus though efforts on development of vaccines by various agencies have shown some positive results. Limited knowledge about the pathogenesis mechanism is a critical gap in developing intervention options. Access of COVID-19 biosamples for research could provide more insight into the disease. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) designated National Lives Disease Biobank (NLRB) as one of the dedicated facilities for collection and storage of COVID-19 biosamples for research purposes. Samples are collected, processed, and stored with proper security at NLDB. In this minireview, we have made an attempt to provide comprehensive coverage on the role of biobanking in Covid-19 pandemic.