Overview

Welcome to the Mayo Clinic Biobank. The Mayo Clinic Biobank is a collection of samples, such as blood and health information donated by volunteers. Unlike many biobanks in existence at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere, the Mayo Clinic Biobank is not focused on any particular disease.

Rather, the Biobank collects samples and health information from patients and other volunteers regardless of their health history. The only requirements are that they be at least 18 years old, have a Mayo Clinic patient number and be able to give informed consent. Once a participant becomes a part of the Biobank, he or she becomes a part of ongoing health research conducted at Mayo Clinic.

The Biobank was established at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and recruitment began in April 2009. The Biobank's initial goal was to enroll 20,000 Mayo Clinic patients over the course of a three-year period to support a wide array of health-related research studies throughout Mayo Clinic.

What's new?

In June 2012, enrollment began for Biobank participants in Jacksonville, FL. Mayo Clinic expects to enroll 5,000 participants in the next five years. This Biobank is an extension of the current efforts in Rochester, MN, with the goal to further diversify the participant population of Biobank and extend the efforts to other Mayo campuses. Benefits of opening the additional Biobank include supporting area researchers and providing access to more diverse populations, allowing for better design of studies aimed at disorders that have a higher prevalence in Southern states, such as skin cancer and kidney stones.

Newsletter

BioNews, issue No. 7 (Fall/Winter 2012), highlights:

  • Current participant statistics
  • New research projects
  • Biobank sample storage
  • Mayo Clinic Biobank extension in Jacksonville, FL
  • Recent activities of the Biobank Community Advisory Board

Videos

Watch a YouTube interview with Janet Olson, Ph.D., the director of the Mayo Clinic Biobank.

Watch a YouTube video to learn how the Mayo Clinic Biobank invites community members to participate in research.