Policy Briefing: From access to use - Untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources
Abstract The wide geographic distribution, combined with the vast taxonomic and functional diversity of microorganisms make them indispensable reservoirs of genetic variation that sustain ecosystem resilience and fuel biotechnological innovation. This diversity requires microbiologists to navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape governed by multiple United Nations (UN) 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 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.
Authors
- Davide Faggionato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0877-5479)
- Mariana L. Ferrari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0441-9242)
- G.J.M. Verkley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6575-2439)
- Cornelia Stumptner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4364-9710)
- Giovanna Cristina Varese (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1455-6208)
- Djamila Djeddour
- Tatjana Kostić
- Aurora Zuzuarregui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2980-8321)
- Matthew J. Ryan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-6609)
- Mathilde Poyet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-9017)
- A Haas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3067-827X)
- Ian Probert
- Jörg Overmann
- Pascale Vonaesch
- Mathieu Groussin
- Amber H Scholz
- Michael Schloter
- Robert D Finn
- Melania Muñoz-García
Institutions
- The Nature Conservancy (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- CAB International (GB)
- European Bioinformatics Institute (GB)
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (AT)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Medical University of Graz (AT)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Parc Científic de la Universitat de València (ES)
- Ocean Conservancy (US)
- Station Biologique de Roscoff (FR)
- Helmholtz Zentrum München (DE)
- Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel (DE)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure Consortium (AT)
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (NL)
- Torino e-district (IT)
- Bioinformatics Institute (RU)
- Clinical Research Center Kiel (DE)
- Université d'Angers (FR)
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DE)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Sustainable Microbiology
- Published
- 2026-02-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag005
- Primary Topic
- International Maritime Law Issues
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00