Automation Will Represent the Next Big Step for Biobanks, Says Frost & Sullivan

Automation Will Represent the Next Big Step for Biobanks, Says Frost & Sullivan PR Newswire LONDON, Dec. 19, 2012 - Exponential growth in sample volumes pushes biobanks toward automation LONDON, Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, nearly 100 million samples are added to biobanks worldwide. Over 1500 bio repositories exist today and efforts are underway to automate the various sample handling and compound storage processes involved in biobanking. The increased focus on preservation of sample integrity and biobanking efficiency is creating considerable growth opportunities for automated solutions. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.healthcare.frost.com), Global Biobanking Automation Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $818 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $1.4 billion in 2018. The research covers automated liquid handling systems and robotics, automated compound storage and sample management systems, laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and consumables. "New disease-based biobank projects in Europe and the United States, that focus on finding a cure for diseases, offer tremendous potential for automation," notes Senior Research Analyst Divyaa Ravishankar. "As patient population samples surge, automated storage units have now been developed that improve biobanks' capacity to cater to a larger number of samples.