Participant Information

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Advances in science and technology are making it possible for us to examine what it means to be healthy and ill. We now know that a person's genetic makeup (DNA) influences their overall health and risk for disease. It is our hope that studies using the Mayo Clinic Biobank will advance our understanding of health and disease.

The Mayo Clinic Biobank is a collection of samples and health information donated by volunteers. We need Mayo Clinic patients to contribute blood samples and health information to this project. The Biobank makes it easier for researchers to perform studies, since samples and information from many different people will be available in one place. Researchers can use the Biobank like a library. When they want to study a health issue, they can use Biobank samples instead of finding new samples.

We hope this information will answer your questions about this project and why it is so valuable to Mayo Clinic, our patients and the future of medicine.

If you are interested in participating, you can call or email the Biobank to request that a fully labeled packet be sent to you.

If you have any questions or concerns before participating, please do not hesitate to call our staff at 507-293-0203 (local), 1-866-613-2386 (toll-free) or email us at biobank@mayo.edu.

Participant expectations

  • Fill out a questionnaire about their health, lifestyle and family history.
  • Give a sample of blood for long-term storage and analysis (which may include genetic analysis).
  • Allow Biobank staff to review past, present and future Mayo Clinic medical records.

Participants gift items

  • Participants will receive a choice of one or more items worth a total of $20.

Participant cost

  • Participants will not need to pay for tests and procedures done just for the Biobank.
  • Participants will need to pay for any tests or procedures done at Mayo Clinic for their own health care.

In the future, participants may

  • Be asked to fill out additional questionnaires
  • Be asked to give additional blood samples
  • Be asked if they are interested in learning certain research results

Study materials

Participant communications after enrollment

As enrollment in the Mayo Clinic Biobank expands and researchers begin using samples and information from the Biobank for research studies, we plan to communicate updates to all participants in several forms:

  • Updates on studies using the Biobank and any outcomes of those studies will be available via the Studies Using the Biobank page of this website.
  • Periodic updates about ongoing studies and outcomes of the Biobank will be mailed to participants via our newsletter, Biobank News.
  • If direct contact with a participant is needed for any reason, the participant may receive a letter by mail or a phone call from Biobank Staff.