Implications of biological information digitization: Access and benefit sharing of plant genetic resources

Abstract

The decoupling of biological information from its material source has changed debates about global access and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resources. What does the digitization of biological information imply for genetic resources of proven and potential value? What implications does digital sequence information (DSI) have for individuals and groups, who have invested time and effort in augmenting and refining valuable characteristics in genetic resources? Stakeholders discussing this issue in various international fora unanimously acknowledge there are currently more questions than answers. Online digital publicly accessible resources represent a transformative technological shift, resulting in intellectual property governance gaps. This article provides interdisciplinary perspectives on options available to governments to continue advancing the goals of ABS, when physical access to genetic resources is no longer needed because DSI is readily accessible. It envisions four governance scenarios.

A digital catalog of high‐density markers for banana germplasm collections

“…The concern that such high levels of genotypic and phenotypic information, associated with germplasm accessions, would enable new breeding techniques (NBTs) that would bypass the access and benefitsharing (ABS) arrangements linked currently to the distribution of physical material has generated much recent attention (Aubry, 2019;Halewood, Chiurugwi et al, 2018;Smyth et al, 2020). At the moment, any genebank user (e.g., researcher, breeder) can order plants and sequence them without further obligations, and many organizations have already made publicly available such datasets for a wide range of crops.…”

Creating space for Indigenous perspectives on access and benefit‐sharing: Encouraging researcher use of the Local Contexts Notices

“…As a research community there is incentive to support Indigenous interests and ABS (Editorial, 2020 Nature Reviews Genetics;Marden et al, 2020). Without appropriate means to build trust and safeguard Indigenous interests, research and most importantly, biodiversity and conservation outcomes for our shared futures may be compromised (Marden et al, 2020;Marden, 2018;Smyth et al, 2020). To ensure equitable understanding of the Notices.…”

“…As a research community there is incentive to support Indigenous interests and ABS (Editorial, 2020 Nature Reviews Genetics ; Marden et al, 2020). Without appropriate means to build trust and safeguard Indigenous interests, research and most importantly, biodiversity and conservation outcomes for our shared futures may be compromised (Marden et al, 2020; Marden, 2018; Smyth et al, 2020). To ensure equitable understanding of the opportunities and risks associated with the access and use of genetic resources, both Indigenous communities and our research community would benefit from the heightened transparency, communication, and accounting afforded by the BC Labels and Notices.…”

The international political process around Digital Sequence Information under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2018–2020 intersessional period

“…Although the focus of this article is on the DSI-CBD intersection, several other international organizations and instruments are currently discussing the governance of DSI and whether DSI should be regulated (Lawson et al, 2019;Smyth et al, 2020). All pathogens (except pandemic influenza, which is handled within a specialized instrument under Art.…”