Perception-Reality Gap in Biobank Adoption: A Needs Assessment in a Resource-Limited Academic Center

Abstract

Introduction:

The lack of standardized biobanking facilities remains a critical barrier to translational research in developing countries, often exacerbating the gap between basic science and clinical application.

Objective:

This study assesses the urgency and specific requirements for a biobank facility at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Indonesia, a representative resource-limited academic setting.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 60 biomedical researchers to evaluate their current specimen management practices and perceived needs. To ensure rigorous evaluation, 11 core Likert-scale items were categorized into three distinct operational domains physical infrastructure, data and ethics, and collaborative and operational needs.

Results:

A subgroup analysis using the Kruskal–Wallis H test revealed a consistent consensus across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral researchers regarding infrastructural demands in all domains (p > 0.05), indicating a systemic institutional deficit. Results indicate a high demand for a biobank, with DNA/RNA and fresh tissue identified as the highest priority. Notably, we observed a profound perception-reality gap. While 81.7% of respondents rated current storage methods as adequate or very adequate, 90% acknowledged that these very methods hinder their research efficiency, and 46.7% reported significant difficulties in biospecimen collection.

Conclusion:

This paradox suggests that researchers in low-resource settings may culturally normalize inefficiency due to the chronic absence of a standardized biobank. Establishing a centralized and standardized biobank is an urgent institutional priority to address this gap and accelerate translational biomedical research and innovation outputs in regional academic centers.