Abstract
There are many different kinds of biobanks with various scopes and purposes, such as diagnostic biobanks, therapeutic biobanks, and research biobanks. My focus is on research biobanks, which enable us to identify genetic and environmental causes of complex diseases. The hope is that research biobanks of this kind will be able to provide us with new medical knowledge of large public health issues. Research biobanks have the potential to produce knowledge that could hold great value and significance for many. In this mindset, such institutions may be considered a social asset benefiting all. I aim to explore the obligations we have in relation to research biobanks and what we can expect and demand from them. I argue that good reasons for everyone to participate in this type of research can be found in the principles and values that characterise modern societies and that many of us take for granted. To explore the rights and obligations, we have vis-à-vis biobank research. I base my arguments in a communitarian and liberalistic understanding of individuals and communities. These two approaches illustrate in separate ways what is at stake. We shall see that both approaches facilitate arguments claiming that biobank research is part of our understanding of ourselves and of society. This means that biobank research can become part of the kind of society that provides the individual with the opportunity to realise his understanding of a good life. If this is the case, we are not obligated to obtain consent from the individual in connection with biobank research. A central prerequisite is that the research promotes values and benefits we can all support. To safeguard this principle, a wider discussion and debate concerning what to research is needed. From this it follows that it could be unethical not to research certain diseases genetically.
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Christensen, E. (2009). Biobanks and Our Common Good. In: Solbakk, J., Holm, S., Hofmann, B. (eds) The Ethics of Research Biobanking. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-93872-1_8
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