Scientists Should Disclose Origin in Marine Gene Patents

Robert Blasiak; Jean-Baptiste Jouffray; Colette C C Wabnitz; Henrik Österblom

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.004

Scientists Should Disclose Origin in Marine Gene Patents

Trends Ecol Evol. 2019 May;34(5):392-395. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.004. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Authors

Robert Blasiak¹, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray², Colette C C Wabnitz³, Henrik Österblom⁴

Affiliations

¹ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8657 Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: robert.blasiak@su.se.
² Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden; These authors contributed equally to this work. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@jb_jouffray.
³ Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada; These authors contributed equally to this work.
⁴ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@henrikosterblom.

PMID: 30837095
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.004

Abstract

Universities are key players in the collection and commercialization of marine genetic resources. We argue that the research community can promote systematic disclosure of sample origin in patents, thereby taking a global responsibility for setting new norms of transparency that would influence ongoing policy processes and improve sharing of benefits.

Keywords: BBNJ; Nagoya Protocol; commercialization; digital sequence information; disclosure; genetic sequence data.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aquatic Organisms*
Disclosure*
Patents as Topic*