Previous to the advent of biobanks, researchers would ask specimen donors for consent to participate in a single study, and give participants information about that study. In a biobank system, a researcher may have many specimens collected over many years and then long after the donors gave the sample, that researcher may want to conduct a new study using those samples but have no good way to give donors information about that study and collect their consent. This problem was first identified in widespread publication in 1995 when an article on this topic was published. Many people have the opportunity to donate samples to medical research in the course of their regular medical care, but there are ethical problems in having one's own doctor request specimens. Most participants are willing to provide consent for biospecimens and disease specific or related biobanks are favorable. Donors to biobanks frequently do not have a good understanding of the concept of a biobank or the implications of donating a specimen to one. Researchers support biobanking despite risk to participants because the benefit is high, it pays respect to people's wishes to involve themselves in research, current practices and culture support this kind of research, and consensus is that the risk of participation is low. References Biobanks Medical ethics Research ethics Bioethics