Reshaping informed consent in the biobanking context.

In my article, I discuss the role of informed consent in the context of biobanking. I argue that the basic issue in understanding the role of the consent is one of identifying the interests at stake and determining which of these interests we intend to promote. The definition of the informational content represents only a consequential step.

The legal status of human biological materials and the consequences in biobanking.

This paper discusses the legal status of human tissue when detached from the body. Scientific advances compel a change in legal perspective from the traditional 'material' view to recognise the 'informational' capacity of tissue. The aim of this article is to critically review this legal shift and its consequences for human research biobanking, and to propose a new theory on the legal nature of human tissue.