What’s the issue?
For most types of life sciences research nowadays, DNA/RNA sequencing and related -omics technologies are a key part of research. Once genetic sequences, known in policy circles as digital sequene information (DSI), are generated, they are often made available in open access databases to ensure scientific reproducibility and comparability with other sequences. As biotechnology tools like synthetic biology and CRISPR-Cas improve, it is now possible in some types of research to use open genetic data and biotech tools without going back to the original biological sample (genetic resource).
Although these data contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, food security, and public health among others, for-profit companies also use these databases for their research and development. The benefits companies generate go back to their shareholders as profits and benefits are not (yet) shared back to provider countries or those that provided the data. This led in 2016 to calls for benefit-sharing from the use of DSI.
However, many individuals across the scientific community, particularly those experienced in ABS procedures, strongly felt that the Nagoya Protocol´s bilateral system would not fit with accessing hundreds of millions of genetic sequences from many different countries for individual analysis.
How do we ensure benefit-sharing without hindering research and innovation?
The scientific community agrees with benefit sharing from the use of DSI, but through a system that:
- is multilateral: meaning just one system for all DSI from different countries
- keeps open access to DSI: by putting the trigger for benefit-sharing towards the end of the value chain
- does not hinder non-commercial research by requiring tracking and tracing individual DSI records
- is compatible with and across other ABS international instruments
