Someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds, according to the American Red Cross (ARC). That need sets a chain of laboratory events in motion, one that depends on skilled medical laboratory scientists working precisely, methodically and largely out of public view.
Blood banking is the infrastructure behind that chain. For credentialed medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) ready to move into advanced roles, the University of West Florida (UWF) Clinical Laboratory Sciences, B.S. – MLT to MLS online program builds the specialized skills in immunohematology, transfusion medicine and clinical laboratory science that blood banking leadership demands.
What Is Blood Banking?
The American Society of Hematology formally defines blood banking as “the process of collecting, separating and storing blood.” Among other duties, blood banking professionals are responsible for testing donated blood to ensure it is safe for transfusion.
The field encompasses donor recruitment, infectious disease screening, component preparation, compatibility testing and inventory management. Every step involves laboratory science, and errors in any step can have life-threatening consequences.
A Brief History of Blood Banking
The concept of collecting blood for later medical use dates back thousands of years, though early attempts were far from reliable. Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner’s 1901 discovery of blood types A, B and O was the pivotal breakthrough: it established the compatibility principles that make safe transfusion possible.
World War II accelerated the development of organized blood banking. Soviet scientists in the 1930s demonstrated that refrigerated blood retained its therapeutic properties. Chicago-based physician Bernard Fantus built on that work in 1937, establishing the Cook County Blood Bank, the first in the United States.
The invention of plastic blood storage bags in 1950, championed by physicians Carl Walter and William Murphy Jr., replaced cumbersome glass bottles and made blood far easier to transport. The FDA began regulating all U.S. blood and plasma centers in 1972, establishing the oversight framework that governs blood banks today.
What Happens to Donated Blood?
Each donated unit of blood travels a carefully controlled path from collection to transfusion. Understanding that path clarifies what medical laboratory scientists do each day.
After collection, units undergo compatibility and infectious disease testing and are then centrifuged to separate into three components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Each component has a different shelf life and serves different clinical purposes.
According to the American Red Cross (ARC), red cell units are organized by blood group, with O-negative designated as the universal donor. Each red cell unit has a 42-day shelf life. Platelets expire in five to seven days and must be used quickly. Plasma can be frozen and stored for extended periods.
Close to seven million people in the United States donate blood annually, contributing more than 13 million units of whole blood and red blood cells. One unit can benefit up to three patients.
Who Needs Blood?
Blood products are essential across a wide range of clinical situations. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy frequently require transfusions to manage treatment-related anemia. Trauma victims may need multiple units rapidly: a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Trauma nurses at OU Health’s Level I Trauma Center confirm they have treated patients who received over 100 units of blood throughout their stay.
Surgical procedures, childbirth complications, organ transplants and treatment of clotting disorders all depend on reliable access to compatible blood products. Blood banking is not an ancillary service: it is infrastructure that makes modern medicine possible.
The Role of Medical Laboratory Scientists in Blood Banks
Medical laboratory scientists (MLSs) are the practitioners who process donations, run compatibility tests and manage inventory. The AABB — which accredits virtually all U.S. blood banks — notes that once blood is collected, safety activities include infectious disease testing, compatibility testing and necessary modifications such as irradiation or leukocyte reduction, all performed by laboratory scientists whose precision directly determines whether transfusions are safe.
Katie Cavnar, Senior Instructor of Medical Lab Sciences at UWF, described the stakes clearly: “My very first day in the blood bank, we had a GI bleed and the patient, by the end of the day, used over 100 blood products — and he survived. And that was amazing.”
Blood bank roles operate without direct patient contact, but laboratory scientists develop meaningful professional connections within the healthcare team. Their work is essential to surgical teams, emergency physicians and oncology units, even when it happens behind the scenes.
Blood Banking During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The pandemic severely tested blood banking infrastructure. Social distancing requirements disrupted blood drives, creating supply shortages at the same moment demand for plasma therapies was rising. Laboratory scientists adapted, operating under enhanced biosafety protocols while continuing to process donations and support clinical care.
Blood banks and microbiology labs were also repurposed as testing centers for experimental convalescent plasma treatments, requiring 24-hour operations. The pandemic made visible how critically understaffed this sector of healthcare had always been.
Prepare for Advanced Roles in Blood Banking With an Online B.S. From UWF
Medical laboratory scientists specializing in blood banking need expertise in immunohematology, serology and the regulatory frameworks governing blood product safety. The work requires precision, attention to detail and the ability to function accurately under time pressure.
UWF’s online Clinical Laboratory Sciences, B.S. – MLT to MLS program prepares credentialed MLTs for advanced blood bank roles and the broader range of clinical laboratory careers. Accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), the program covers immunohematology, molecular diagnostics, hematology and clinical chemistry.
Earning this degree positions MLTs to take on higher-level responsibilities, qualify for leadership roles and expand their career options in a rewarding field. Featuring affordable tuition, multiple start dates per year and a 100% online format, the program enables professionals to continue working while building specialized skills they can immediately apply in the workplace. The online format gives students the ability to access coursework from anywhere, while balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and complete the program in as few as 24 months.
Learn more about UWF’s online Clinical Laboratory Sciences, B.S. – MLT to MLS program.
About UWF’s Online Clinical Laboratory Sciences, B.S. – MLT to MLS
The University of West Florida’s online Clinical Laboratory Sciences, B.S. – MLT to MLS program is designed for credentialed medical laboratory technicians looking to advance to medical laboratory scientist status. The curriculum covers the full range of clinical laboratory competencies, including immunohematology, molecular diagnostics, hematology and clinical chemistry.
The program prepares students to sit for the national board exam offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Graduates complete the program ready to lead in a range of settings, including hospital laboratories, blood banks, research institutions and public health labs.