“Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources” (DSI) are in focus of the international policy debate on biodiversity and the fair sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. The continuous advancement in life sciences and agricultural research and the abundance of genetic sequence data available in public databases allow research and product development to take place without access to physical resources. There is a demand for a regulatory instrument for DSI. At the same time, open access to DSI is essential for scientific progress and international cooperation.
In a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, scientists from a wide variety of disciplines developed various policy options that could help find a compromise in this debate. The options are based on 5 essential requirements that must be met for a successful science in future:
- Open access to research data
- Simplicity of regulations
- Future proof: regulations, which meet the constantly growing data volume and technological progress
- Legal certainty through clear, transparent regulations
- Avoid two-part bureaucracy for genetic resources and DSI, but a system that covers both
The white paper will be officially presented on October 7, 2020 in an international webinar (See also https://www.dsmz.de/collection/nagoya-protocol/digital-sequence-information/dsi-policy-options-webinar-2020).
For more information about DSI, please visit https://genres.de/en/abs/digital-sequence-information/