BBMRI.at Publication
CollectionLocator: Unlocking Access to Biobank Data for Advanced Medical Research
Researchers from BBMRI.at partner developed an innovative tool CollectionLocator, to enhance the FAIR compliance of biobank data and facilitate its use for research and medical studies. This tool aims to assist researchers in identifying the most suitable biobank and collection likely to contain the biological samples and associated data needed for a defined research project, even when detailed sample data is restricted due to privacy concerns.
Biobanks are essential resources for medical research, as they collect biological material and related data and make it available for research projects and medical studies. A common problem in research with biobank data is the challenge of finding relevant collections that meet the requirements of a research project. A recent survey found that 60% of researchers had to limit the scope of their research due to difficulties in obtaining relevant data from biobank.
In addition, biobank data must therefore meet certain criteria, which can be formulated as compliance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).This is precisely where CollectionLocator proves instrumental.
The CollectionLocator, developed as a prototype by researchers from BBMRI.at partner Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt and Medical University of Innsbruck, is based on an ontology-based metadata model to account for the enormous heterogeneity of biobank data, ensuring both the privacy of donors and the quality of data. Researchers can search for collections that meet their criteria regarding both the content and quality of the data through an easy-to-use search interface.
Furthermore, the CollectionLocator represents the data and metadata quality of the collections so that the quality requirements of the requester can be matched with the quality requierements of the available data. A proof-of-concept implementation demonstrates the tool’s effectiveness in overcoming existing inefficiencies.
The tool aims to support the reproducibility of research and facilitate access to high-quality data by integrating metadata from different biobanks into a central collection. CollectionLocator thus contributes to improved traceability and reusability of biobank data, especially in cases where the complete data is not directly accessible due to data protection regulations. So it maximizes the use of existing data resources while ensuring FAIR compliance and data privacy.
Shekhovtsov, V.A.; Slajcho, B.; Sacherer, A.; Eder, J. CollectionLocator Level 1: Metadata-Based Search for Collections in Federated Biobanks CORNELL UNIVERSITY, 2024. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2408.16422
