Registration and ethical governance of Australian stem cell lines

This project will develop digital infrastructure to ensure sustainable, ethical management of biospecimens. Human biological specimens, including cell lines, are fundamental resources for advancing disease diagnosis and treatment. Currently, the application of emerging technologies to existing collections is limited by inadequate or restrictive donor consent frameworks. To address this, we are developing innovative governance structures that will enable community consultation about new use of biospecimens. Using the Australian stem cell registry as our prototype, we will create digital infrastructure that enables three key functions: centralized management of donor consent documentation, APIs that consider consent ahead of resource sharing, and digital platforms for community engagement in governance decisions.