Biobanks and tissue collections derived from animals raise welfare questions about both the original animal use and the governance of tissue reuse. Thoughtful biobank governance can reduce net animal use while respecting welfare principles.
Animal tissue biobanking is a welfare-positive practice when well-organized: by enabling tissues from one experiment to serve multiple research purposes, it reduces the total number of animals used. This is a direct application of the Reduce principle from the 3Rs framework. The welfare governance questions are about realizing this potential: ensuring that tissues are appropriately documented, stored, and shared; that researchers who could use banked tissues are connected with them rather than generating new animals; and that permit processes actively encourage banking as part of experimental design. The barriers to expanded tissue sharing — coordination costs, quality concerns, lack of incentive structures — are organizational rather than scientific, and organizational solutions can substantially expand the welfare benefit.