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16.07.2026 10:29

Genetic databases as the key to global benefit-sharing: New guidelines published in “Nature Scientific Data”

PhDr. Sven-David Müller Stabsstelle Wissenschaftskommunikation
Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH

An international research team led by the Science Policy and Internationalisation Department at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures has now published a groundbreaking practical guide in the renowned journal Scientific Data. The article, entitled “How can biological databases support the new UN mechanism for benefit-sharing from digital sequence information?”, sets out in concrete terms how biological databases can provide technical and organisational support for the global UN mechanism for the equitable sharing of benefits derived from digital sequence information, without restricting the free exchange of open scientific data.

Decisions on the mechanism are currently being taken as part of the negotiations for a new global United Nations biodiversity agreement. “The negotiators have requested biological databases to play a supporting role within the new benefit-sharing mechanism. They have achieved a careful balance between safeguarding the role of databases as fundamental research infrastructure and increasing transparency and legal certainty in order to improve benefit-sharing globally”, explains Dr. Amber Hartman Scholz, Head of the DSMZ’s Science Policy and Internationalisation Department.

The challenge: Open science versus equitable benefit-sharing
Digital sequence information from genetic resources form the basis of modern life sciences (such as medicine and plant breeding). At UN level, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed, through COP16 Decision 16/2, to establish a multilateral mechanism that provide for the fair and equitable sharing of financial benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information with countries of origin and Indigenous Peoples. However, until now there has been a lack of a global infrastructure to integrate these legal requirements into existing, freely accessible genetic databases without bureaucratic hurdles.

Scalable measures for biological databases
Under the leadership of Dr Amber Hartman Scholz, the authors integrated global surveys, interviews and expert workshops involving staff from international databases. The study identifies specific, scalable measures that can be implemented immediately:

• Improved user information Automated notifications integrated into the data upload process provide researchers with timely information on applicable compliance requirements and relevant UN mechanisms directly within the database interface.
• Better geographical metadata: Databases must structurally simplify the systematic recording of a sample’s place of origin.
• Amendment of the terms of use: Incorporation of the UN guidelines into the legal agreements within the databases’ terms of use to enhance legal certainty.
• Recording of non-monetary benefits: new approaches document knowledge transfer, such as capacity-building in developing countries, joint publications and free training programmes.

The scientific community’s ethical obligation
“Public databases for digital sequence information are indispensable reference collections for researchers worldwide; we are therefore working alongside the international scientific community to ensure that access to these data remains open and free of charge. We regard support for equitable benefit-sharing as an ethical obligation of the scientific community - this also includes the operators of scientific data infrastructures,” explains Dr Barbara Ebert, Managing Director of the Society for Biological Data (Gesellschaft für biologische Daten e. V.) and project leader of the feasibility study that laid the groundwork for the guidelines. “The open nature of the databases is a key requirement for our leading researchers in Germany. That is why we have collaborated on this study with partners from the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and are proud of the result,” concludes Dr Amber Hartman Scholz.

The work was funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) with funding from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) (project number 3522800600).

Transparency note:
Draft and translation for this press release were supported by AI (Gemini/DeepL). Human editing and final review were carried out by Sven-David Müller and Dr. Manuela Schüngel from the DSMZ Science Communication Department.

Press contact
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, Head of Science Communication, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Phone: ++49 (0)531/2616-300
Mail: press@dsmz.de

About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures is the world's most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell lines). Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, investigated and archived at the DSMZ. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ with its extensive scientific services and biological resources has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ was the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and is certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only possibility in Germany to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific services, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, accommodates more than 94,400 bioresources and has around 210 employees. www.dsmz.de

The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 96 independent research institutions that range in focus from natural, engineering and environmental sciences to economics, spatial and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public. Furthermore, a special focus is placed on technologically relevant research and active technology transfer: Leibniz Institutes bring innovative developments into targeted application and promote the implementation of new technologies in society through cooperation with business and industry. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,400 people, including 12,200 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2,3 billion euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de

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Originalpublikation:

Raposo, D. S., Faggionato, D., Scholz, A. H. et al. How can biological databases support the new UN mechanism for benefit-sharing from digital sequence information? Scientific data (2026) 13(1), 971. DOI: 10.1038/s41597-026-07725-y

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Dr. Amber Hartman Scholz, DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany
Quelle: Michael Hübner
Copyright: DSMZ

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