Vetnuus | Januarie 2024 12 « BACK TO CONTENTS It is important to note that some of the biological material can be from infectious diseases, which have a biosecurity risk and may have severe economic impacts on the country. Such a Biobank also supports the mandate of the South African Council for the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction (Bioterrorism). Part of the Biobanking process involves a material-tracking sheet for each virus on the Pathogen Asset Control System (PACS), which allows for each isolate to be uniquely identified, catalogued, and traced. The PACS additionally links individual isolates to associated metadata providing background information for future reference. All data on the material-tracking sheets can be scrutinised by running various queries within the PACS database. This is crucial if the samples are to be used in all fields of research and development. For instance, genome-sequencing technologies involve understanding diseases by studying the genetic composition or sequence of a pathogen. The resultant data are used for example to determine the genetic basis for adaptive traits useful for crop, livestock, fish, and wildlife breeding programs, and much more. By further expanding the genetic sequence databases of pathogens, it may be possible to rapidly identify the probable source of disease outbreaks. The biosafety risk posed by some of the zoonotic diseases is important to note due to the risk of human infection. The ARC-OVR Biobank is considered a national asset and thus funding for Biobanking and support from both the government and private sector is essential to ensure the correct containment and cataloguing of biological material as well as to promote the improvement of research and development in the field of veterinary diseases. Furthermore, Biobanking allows South Africa to achieve and attain global standards and regulations with regard to biological materials, which allows for opportunities for collaborations and investment with international stakeholders. Establishment of the project ARC-OVR offers diagnostic services and provides vaccines for various veterinary diseases. The Institute is a World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) reference laboratory for various animal diseases and a collaborating partner with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Part of its mandate is to monitor and manage outbreaks of animal diseases in Africa and to prepare for emergencies involving transboundary animal diseases. The ARC-OVR receives more than 100,000 samples annually which are rich in important biological and genetic material. The oldest samples attained date to the 1960s. Thus, Biobanking has been recognised to be a dire need for the Institute. The challenge is that in the past, the trend was that scientists had worked in isolation i.e., a scientist would gather samples in the field/laboratory, analyse them, and then store the samples in a freezer in their laboratory with the sample information being saved onto personal hardware until, all too frequently, samples are discarded to make space available for new material and the research data collated for the samples are not retained by the Institute. This situation is a great disadvantage as studies conducted on the same species/disease cannot be compared and correlated to what was done or available in the past. However, if historical samples were not discarded but stored in a Biobank with all the relevant supporting information and data after a study and made available to other scientists, then this issue might be resolved and correlations between studies can be achieved to provide valuable information. Moreover, personnel turnover makes traceability of samples and materials difficult. Therefore, Biobanking facilitates the rapid provision of the available stocks to end-users whilst ensuring full traceability and accountability accessions. Effective maintenance of the stock material in the Biobank ensures quality control (QC), method validation, research, and a prominent level of biosecurity. The Biobank complies with the guidelines given by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) for the establishment and maintenance of a Biobank, which is developed to overcome several challenges including, harmonized procedures, appropriate design and sustainability, all in the framework of their legal, social, and ethical values (Chalmers et al., 2016). Role of Biobanks in research studies In terms of veterinary disease research, Biobanks serve an important purpose of ensuring that there is safe and accountable storage of biological material that can be used to support research studies. To ensure ongoing research, high-quality biological material is required and with the use of Biobanks with well-maintained database repositories, this can be achieved (Lombardo et al., 2015). Moreover, to further understand animal diseases and create diagnostic treatments that will be novel, biological material stored in Biobanks is an advantage. According to Bull and Bhagwandin, (2020), in global health research, there has been an increase of interest when it comes to data sharing amongst different Institutes of research. This highlights that the role Biobanks play in research is vital because it fosters collaborations and data sharing strengthening research across multiple Institutes globally. In terms of improving public human health-related matters which have links with veterinary diseases, veterinary Biobanks have proven to be a key resource for answering or solve relevant issues (LaLonde-Paul et al., 2023). Veterinary Biobanks play a crucial role in promoting human medicine as well as animal research, especially considering the ‘One Health’ program and its guiding principles, which aim to sustainably balance and optimise the health of humans, animals and ecosystems (LaLondePaul et al., 2023). The implication is clear: if more well-characterized, high-quality samples are available through biobanks, research will advance faster and improve the delivery of efficient ways to combat animal diseases. Acknowledgements: Appreciation and thanks to the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) and the Red Meat Research and Development South Africa (RMRD SA) for funding and support. Article Biobanking For Animal Health: Storing Natural Treasures <<< 11
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