| Title: |
Policy Briefing: from access to use—untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources |
| Authors: |
Faggionato, Davide; Muñoz-García, Melania; Kostic, Tanja; Ferrari, Mariana L; Vonaesch, Pascale; Poyet, Mathilde; Portier, Perrine; Ryan, Matthew J; Djeddour, Djamila; Stumptner, Cornelia; Varese, Giovanna Cristina; Zuzuarregui, Aurora; Groussin, Mathieu; Schloter, Michael; Finn, Robert D; Haas, Aylin S; Probert, Ian; Verkley, Gerard; Overmann, Jörg; Scholz, Amber H |
| Contributors: |
Horizon Europe project MICRObiome Biobanking; Horizon Europe project Microbes-4-Climate; Horizon Europe project European Viral Outbreak Response Alliance; Austrian Federal Ministry of Women; European Commission—NextGenerationEU; Strengthening the MIRRI Italian Research Infrastructure for Sustainable Bioscience and Bioeconomy; German Alliance of Scientific Organization; DFG; Collaborative Research Center; Global Microbiome Conservancy; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; ERC; Swiss National Science Foundation; Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship; SNSF |
| Source: |
Sustainable Microbiology ; volume 3, issue 1 ; ISSN 2755-1970 |
| Publisher Information: |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Description: |
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. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1093/sumbio/qvag005 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/sumbio/qvag005/66975984/qvag005.pdf |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005; https://academic.oup.com/sumbio/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005/66975984/qvag005.pdf; https://academic.oup.com/sumbio/article-pdf/3/1/qvag005/66975984/qvag005.pdf |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.7DB6C757 |
| Database: |
BASE |