ISBER is the only global forum that addresses harmonization of scientific, technical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to repositories of biological and environmental specimens. ISBER creates opportunities for sharing ideas internationally, and harmonizes approaches to evolving challenges in biobanking and biological and environmental repository operation. ISBER fosters collaboration, creates education and training opportunities, provides an international showcase for state-of-the-art policies, processes, and research findings, and innovative technologies, products, and services. Together, these activities promote best practices that cut across the broad range of repositories that ISBER serves. The six categories of biobanking that we address are: Animal Specimen Repository Environmental Repository Human Specimen Repository Microorganism Culture Collection Museum Repository Plant/Seed Repository