Biobanks have become an important resource in medical research, supporting many types of contemporary research like genomics and personalized medicine, and the development of diagnostics and therapeutics.
Biobanking is a game-changer for healthcare and will revolutionize medical research, leading to better outcomes for patient treatment. Biobanks will provide an opportunity for people in the community and researchers to work together to build a better, healthier future for generations to come.
In light of the above, the Al Jalila Foundation, a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, announced that it will establish a AED17 million robotic biobank, in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
The collaboration is set to advance medical research in the areas of genetic disorders, cancer, and other chronic diseases and pandemics.
The biobank will be one of the world’s largest with a capacity to manage seven million specimens. The facility will be located at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medical Research Institute.
In addition, the UAE’s first robotic biobank will serve as a major contributor to the advancement of modern medicine and will enable scientific discoveries that will help enhance the health and wellbeing of the community.
An automated, robotic, AI-based system will ensure biological samples are secured in cryogenic storage maintaining proper sample integrity and retrieval.
The biological and medical data will be used by scientists for research to make discoveries about common and life-threatening diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke to improve public health.
The UAE’s diverse population, with people from varied ethnicities and nationalities, will provide a valuable platform for comparative studies on genetic, environmental, nutritional habits, and behavioral aspects.
Moreover, biobanks can give researchers access to data representing a large number of people.
Noteworthy that the biobank is set to open in 2023.
