India, Oct. 9 -- In 1996, the term biobank was first used by researchers Steffen Loft and Henrik Enghusen Poulsen to describe the use of human biological material in studying cancer risk factors. Since then, biobanking has evolved into a cornerstone of medical innovation worldwide, powered by advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and the ability to analyze vast patient-linked datasets. Globally, it has emerged as one of the most powerful engines of discovery, accelerating drug development, strengthening diagnostics and enabling healthcare systems to move from reactive to predictive care.

India has now entered this frontier with the launch of the Phenome India National Biobank at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Bio...