Digital Sequence Information (DSI)

Why in News?

Recently held CoP16 biodiversity conference set up 'Cali fund' to support biodiversity conservation in countries providing digital sequence information.

What is digital sequence information?

• Genetic sequence – DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence order of nucleotides in DNA. 
• The unique genetic codes and sequences in all living organisms hold the information needed for them to develop and function.
• Digital Sequence Information (DSI) – It  is the digital data of genetic information of plants, animals, microbes.
• Data types - It covers any information derived out of these nucleotide or amino acid sequences, genome sequences, their biochemical composition, gene locations, genetic maps.
• DSI Databases – It is typically stored in global databases, such as GenBank, EMBL-EBI, or DDBJ.

What are the significances of DSI?

• Basic science research - It allows researchers to investigate how genes interact with each other and helps in evolutionary studies.
• Biodiversity conservation – It enables scientists to analyze the genetic material of endangered or extinct ones, without requiring physical samples.
• Disease research – For identifying and tracking pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and parasites, which is vital for public health monitoring.
• For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global sharing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome via DSI databases allowed scientists worldwide to develop diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines quickly.
• Vaccine development – Vaccine research relies on DSI which helps to analyze and create vaccines for emerging strains.
• Agriculture and food security – Crop improvement by identifying genes associated with desirable traits such as drought resistance, pest tolerance, and higher yields in crops.
• Bioprospecting – Genetic codes of plants, animals and microbes are used to find new compounds that can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or other commercial purposes.

Bioprospecting is the systematic and organized search of useful products derived from bio resources including plants, microorganisms, animals that can be developed further for commercialization and overall benefits of the society.

• Precision medicine – Where a patient’s genetic makeup is analyzed to personalized medicine for effective treatments.
• Product development - Industries like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture and advanced lab technologies uses DSI to create or improve their products.

Stone-washed denim jeans get their streaked quality from nature - specifically from enzymes developed from microbes found in super salty soda lakes.

Why is it Important to adopt multilateral mechanism in COP – 16?

• At COP16, countries are aiming to create a single, multilateral system focused on generating revenues for conservation from the use of DSI.
• Access and benefit sharing – To globally determine the access and benefit sharing mechanism for digital sequence information.

Large companies and other major entities benefiting commercially from DSI will contribute to “the Cali Fund,” based on a percentage of their profits or revenues.

• Global access to genetic resources – To facilitate the free exchange of genetic data through publicly accessible databases.
• Complex law system – The laws to govern the use of genetic material vary widely from country to country complicating the sharing of biological material for research.
• Intellectual property rights – To determine the ownership of digitally sequenced genes and how they can be patented or commercialized.
• Ethical implications – The vast amounts of DSI available could be used for unethical purposes, such as unauthorized genetic modification or bioweapons development.
• Revenue for countries  – To enable Species-rich countries, including tropical giants like Brazil and India, capitalizing on their biodiversity through  compensation or royalties from companies using DSI in their product.

A U.N.-commissioned study estimated that a charge of 0.1% to 1% on annual revenues of companies using DSI could generate between $1 billion and $10 billion annually.

What lies ahead?     

• Determine how DSI revenues would be distributed for use in nature conservation.
• Develop charging mechanism on certain sectors like pharmaceuticals a percentage of their revenue or profit to use DSI databases
• Ensure free access for non-profit research that benefits humanity.
• Support poorer nations in developing their own genetic research.

Reference

The Hindu| COP16 On How To Uses And Pay For Genetic Information