Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources

Davide  Faggionato; Melania  Muñoz-García ,; Tanja Kostic; Mariana L  Ferrari; Pascale  Vonaesch; Mathilde  Poyet; Perrine  Portier; Matthew J. Ryan; Djamila Djeddour; Cornelia Stumptner; Giovanna Cristina  Varese; Aurora Zuzuarregui; Mathiieu Groussin; Michael Schloter; Robert Finn; Aylin S.  Haas; Jan Probert; Gerard Verkley; Jörg Overmann; Amber H.  Scholz

doi:10.1093/sumbio/qvag005

Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources

Davide Faggionato
, Melania Muñoz-García ,
, Tanja Kostic
, Mariana L Ferrari
, Pascale Vonaesch
, Mathilde Poyet
, Perrine Portier
, Matthew J. Ryan
, Djamila Djeddour
, Cornelia Stumptner
, Giovanna Cristina Varese
, Aurora Zuzuarregui
, Mathiieu Groussin
, Michael Schloter
, Robert Finn
, Aylin S. Haas
, Jan Probert
, Gerard Verkley
, Jörg Overmann
, Amber H. Scholz

Bioresources

Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Université Paris Cité
University of Lausanne
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (MIRRI-ERIC)
Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI)
Institut of Technical Physics, Universität Graz
Helmholtz Munich
European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI)
Sorbonne Université
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Sustainable Microbiology
Volume	3
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005
Publication status	Published - 18 Feb 2026

Research Field

Exploration of Biological Resources

Access to Document

10.1093/sumbio/qvag005Licence: Other

Cite this

Faggionato, D., Muñoz-García ,M., Kostic, T., Ferrari , M. L., Vonaesch , P., Poyet, M., Portier , P., Ryan, M. J., Djeddour, D., Stumptner, C., Varese, G. C., Zuzuarregui, A., Groussin, M., Schloter, M., Finn, R., Haas, A. S., Probert, J., Verkley, G., Overmann, J., & Scholz, A. H. (2026). Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources. Sustainable Microbiology, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005

@article{ce779de6e00d46f08ec929817adf1e92,

title = "Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources",

abstract = "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.",

author = "Davide Faggionato and \{Mu{\~n}oz-Garc{\'i}a ,\}, Melania and Tanja Kostic and Ferrari, \{Mariana L\} and Pascale Vonaesch and Mathilde Poyet and Perrine Portier and Ryan, \{Matthew J.\} and Djamila Djeddour and Cornelia Stumptner and Varese, \{Giovanna Cristina\} and Aurora Zuzuarregui and Mathiieu Groussin and Michael Schloter and Robert Finn and Haas, \{Aylin S.\} and Jan Probert and Gerard Verkley and J{\"o}rg Overmann and Scholz, \{Amber H.\}",

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doi = "10.1093/sumbio/qvag005",

language = "English",

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Faggionato, D, Muñoz-García ,M, Kostic, T, Ferrari , ML, Vonaesch , P, Poyet, M, Portier , P, Ryan, MJ, Djeddour, D, Stumptner, C, Varese, GC, Zuzuarregui, A, Groussin, M, Schloter, M, Finn, R, Haas, AS, Probert, J, Verkley, G, Overmann, J & Scholz, AH 2026, 'Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources', Sustainable Microbiology, vol. 3, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005

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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

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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.

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