TRACKER contributes to shaping Australia’s biobanking future
- TRACKER Biobank
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
TRACKER is proud to have contributed as a consulted stakeholder to a new CSIRO report, Valuation of Increased Coordination in Australian Biobanking. The report highlights the need for a nationally coordinated biobank platform, estimated to deliver $39 million in annual benefits, to accelerate health research, improve accessibility, and strengthen Australia’s capacity for lifesaving discoveries.
A new report released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has revealed that better coordination across the country’s human health biobanks could deliver up to $39 million in annual benefits; accelerating lifesaving discoveries and strengthening Australia’s global research standing.
The report, Valuation of increased coordination in Australian biobanking, highlights the immense value of establishing a national platform to connect biobanks and cohort studies, streamlining access to human biospecimens and associated data.
The TRACKER Biobank was proud to contribute as a consulted stakeholder to this important initiative, lending insights from its experience developing one of Australia’s most advanced and collaborative biobanking models in lung cancer research.
Building the Case for a Connected Biobanking Future
The report, commissioned by CSIRO highlights the need for greater visibility, interoperability, and sustainability across Australia’s 200+ existing biobanks. Together, these collections hold more than four million biospecimens, yet many operate independently — leading to duplication, inconsistent standards, and limited access for researchers.
Aligned with TRACKER’s ethos, the report recommends a national approach to maximise the impact of these vital resources. Key recommendations include:
Conducting a comprehensive national survey of biobanks and cohort studies.
Implementing a shared discovery and access platform.
Establishing a national governance and quality management framework.
Creating a steering committee to guide coordination initiatives.
By improving discoverability and linkage of biospecimens with associated data, researchers could access critical samples more efficiently - accelerating discoveries and ultimately improving health outcomes for Australians.
TRACKER’s Role: A Model for Coordinated Biobanking
As a consulted stakeholder, TRACKER contributed its expertise as a national, patient-centred biobank that integrates longitudinally collected biospecimens with detailed clinical and sequencing data to address unmet needs in lung cancer.
“TRACKER demonstrates how a coordinated, well-governed biobank can reduce duplication of effort, future-proof sample storage for a wide range of current and emerging analyses, and provide researchers with access to a critical mass of biospecimens linked to rich clinical and sequencing data,” said Dr Sagun Parakh, TRACKER Co-Lead.
“Our involvement in this report reflects our commitment to a national biobanking ecosystem that accelerates discovery and delivers tangible benefits for patients."
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TRACKER Team
Through strategic partnerships with organisations including Austin Health, ONJCRI, WEHI and La Trobe University, TRACKER has established a robust access and data-sharing framework, enabling researchers to undertake analyses and generate insights that were previously challenging. Its approach exemplifies the type of nationally coordinated, future-ready biobanking infrastructure that the CSIRO report recommends, demonstrating how integration, governance, and collaboration can drive breakthroughs in cancer research.
Advancing Australia’s Health Research Future
The report highlights that national coordination is not just an operational improvement, but a strategic investment in Australia’s health research ecosystem. “By making biobanking data more visible and accessible, we can enable faster, efficient, and more collaborative science,” said Natalia Vukelic, TRACKER Project Manager.
For TRACKER, contributing to this consultation reinforces its leadership role in shaping biobanking excellence in Australia. As the biobank continues to grow, TRACKER remains committed to ensuring every sample collected today contributes to tomorrow’s breakthroughs, driving discovery, innovation, and improved outcomes for people affected by lung cancer.
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