TY - JOUR
T1 - Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources
AU - Faggionato, Davide
AU - Muñoz-García ,, Melania
AU - Kostic, Tanja
AU - Ferrari , Mariana L
AU - Vonaesch , Pascale
AU - Poyet, Mathilde
AU - Portier , Perrine
AU - Ryan, Matthew J.
AU - Djeddour, Djamila
AU - Stumptner, Cornelia
AU - Varese, Giovanna Cristina
AU - Zuzuarregui, Aurora
AU - Groussin, Mathiieu
AU - Schloter, Michael
AU - Finn, Robert
AU - Haas, Aylin S.
AU - Probert, Jan
AU - Verkley, Gerard
AU - Overmann, Jörg
AU - Scholz, Amber H.
PY - 2026/2/18
Y1 - 2026/2/18
N2 - The wide geographic distribution of microorganisms, combined with their vast taxonomic and functional diversity, make them indispensable reservoirs of genetic variation that sustain ecosystem resilience and fuel biotechnological innovation. However, to use this diversity, microbiologists must navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape governed by multiple United Nations treaties and their respective access and benefit-sharing frameworks as well as regulatory frameworks specific to particular ecosystems, biosecurity, pathogens, and intellectual property. This complex regulatory web is also actively growing and changing, which makes it immensely challenging for a “regular” microbiologist to navigate. For policymakers and negotiators, it is also difficult to appreciate the full complexity that practitioners experience. This policy briefing provides a concise regulatory guide for practitioners and policymakers alike, summarized in a graphical overview, to provide more clarity and understanding for those at the edge of decision-making and practice.
AB - The wide geographic distribution of microorganisms, combined with their vast taxonomic and functional diversity, make them indispensable reservoirs of genetic variation that sustain ecosystem resilience and fuel biotechnological innovation. However, to use this diversity, microbiologists must navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape governed by multiple United Nations treaties and their respective access and benefit-sharing frameworks as well as regulatory frameworks specific to particular ecosystems, biosecurity, pathogens, and intellectual property. This complex regulatory web is also actively growing and changing, which makes it immensely challenging for a “regular” microbiologist to navigate. For policymakers and negotiators, it is also difficult to appreciate the full complexity that practitioners experience. This policy briefing provides a concise regulatory guide for practitioners and policymakers alike, summarized in a graphical overview, to provide more clarity and understanding for those at the edge of decision-making and practice.
U2 - 10.1093/sumbio/qvag005
DO - 10.1093/sumbio/qvag005
M3 - Article
SN - 2755-1970
VL - 3
JO - Sustainable Microbiology
JF - Sustainable Microbiology
IS - 1
ER -