In recent years a number of large population-based biobanks â genetic databases that combine genetic information derived from blood samples with personal data about environment medical history lifestyle or genealogy â have been set up in order to study the interface between disease and genetic and environmental factors. Unsurprisingly these studies have sparked a good deal of controversy and the ethical and social implications have been widely debated. Biobanks: Governance in Comparative Perspective is the first book to explore the political and governance implications of biobanks in Europe the United States Asia and Australia. This book explores: the interrelated conditions needed for a biobank to be created and to exist the rise of the new bio-economy the redefinition of citizenship accompanying national biobank developments This groundbreaking book makes clear that biobanks are a phenomenon that cannot be disconnected from considerations of power politics and the reshaping of current practices in governance. It will be a valuable read for scholars and students of genetics bioethics risk public health and the sociology of health and illness. . Language: English