• It is a type of biorepository that stores biological samples (usually human) for use in research.
• Biobanks have become an important resource in medical research, supporting many types of contemporary research like genomics and personalized medicine.
• Biobanks can give researchers access to data representing a large number of people.
• Samples in biobanks and the data derived from those samples can often be used by multiple researchers for cross purpose research studies.
• For example, many diseases are associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms.
• Genome-wide association studies using data from tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals can identify these genetic associations as potential disease biomarkers.
• Many researchers struggled to acquire sufficient samples prior to the advent of biobanks.

• The unique feature of AIIA’s Panchkarm for Children and Panchkarma for the eyes was also appreciated by the Ministers.
• The All India Institute of Ayurveda has been conceived as an Apex Institute for Ayurveda. It aims at bringing a synergy between Traditional Wisdom of Ayurveda and Modern tools and technology.
  
• The institute would offer postgraduate and doctoral courses in various disciplines of Ayurveda and will focus on fundamental research of Ayurveda, drug development, standardization, quality control, safety evaluation and scientific validation of Ayurvedic medicine. 

Ayurveda

“AYURVEDA” is made up of two words- Ayuh and Veda. Ayuh means life and Veda means knowledge or science. Thus “AYURVEDA’ in totality means ‘Science of life’. It incorporates all aspects of life whether physical, psychological, spiritual or social. What is beneficial and what is harmful to life, what is happy life and what is sorrowful life; all these four questions and life span allied issues are elaborately and emphatically discussed in Ayurveda.

Source: PIB