This news item from JAVMA is about: Biobanks have arisen in response to the need for high-quality biological samples in biomedical research. Originally, biobanks started as small collections of samples assembled at individual academic institutions to support researchers with an interest in specific projects.1 Over the past 30 years, however, these collections have evolved and expanded to serve the needs of a variety of emerging disciplines, including proteomics, genomics, and the field of personalized medicine. A biobank is defined as “a facility for the collection, preservation, storage and supply of biological samples and associated data, which follows standardized operating procedures and provides material for scientific and clinical use.”2 Samples held in biobanks contain important information, providing a snapshot not only of the evolution of species and the genetic diversity available but also of the health and disease status of specific individuals at a given time.