Oral: Role of Phytobiomes in Plant Disease Control
22-S
Can I use this strain? Legal issues impacting the use of microbial resources and how whole genome sequence may solve them.
K. McCluskey (1) (1) Kansas state university, U.S.A.
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International treaties impact the use of genetic resources including microbes. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force in 1993 and any genetic resources described prior to then are considered the shared heritage of mankind. The Nagoya protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) is intended to simplify implementation of the CBD and entered into force in October 2014. Both of these mandate that each party (country) should establish national legislation to implement the treaty. Regarding ABS, each party is to establish an ABS Clearing-house to register and provide information. These are easily identified through the CBD at www.cbd.int. Research use is not exempt and any collecting must be done with Prior Informed Consent (PIC) under Mutually Agreeable Terms (MAT). Researchers should be aware that their actions may have impact upon collaborators. Because these international obligations are location based, it is essential to document the geographic range of resources. Because the whole genome sequence of microbial resource can be determined, the geographic distribution of the trait of interest can be identified. If a trait is distributed globally, it should not be the property of one entity. Conversely, if a trait is associated with one unique geographic region or location, benefits from its utilization should return to the country or community of origin.