Biomarkers are directly-measured biological indicators of disease or health. In population and social sciences, biomarkers need to be easy to obtain, transport, and analyze. Dried Blood Spot (DBS) collection meets this need, can be collected in the field with high response rates and analyzed for a variety of biomarkers.
Ostler, M. W., Porter, J. H., Buxton, O. M. Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies. J. Vis. Exp. (83), e50973, doi:10.3791/50973 (2014).