New article in Nature Biotechnology on how sharing benefits from the use of digital sequence information can evolve to contribute to biodiversity conservation.

BlueRemediomics researcher Professor Marcel Jaspars from the University of Aberdeen has co-authored a new article in Nature Biotechnology titled “From frameworks to finance: how sharing benefits from the use of digital sequence information can evolve to contribute to biodiversity conservation”

At the 16^th Conference of the Parties (COP16), held in Colombia from 21 October to 1 November 2024, negotiators agreed on a new mechanism to support biodiversity financing.

This initiative marks a significant evolution in how benefits from digital sequence information (DSI) are handled and shared. It seeks to establish new funding sources without disrupting ongoing research and innovation, while ensuring continued open access to extensive public databases. It replaces individual bilateral agreements with a multilateral system that separates access from benefit-sharing. Ultimately, it is expected to provide crucial funding for biodiversity conservation, with a special emphasis on supporting indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

Since full implementation will require several years of negotiations, the article outlines actions stakeholders can take to achieve their shared goals.