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The Nagoya Protocol and its implications for microbiology

The Nagoya Protocol was drafted to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the international use of genetic resources, but the lack of unified procedures and unclear definitions relating to microorganisms present considerable hurdles to microbiology research.

Field studies are critical for understanding the key ecosystem roles played by microorganisms to complement decades of laboratory-based research. They offer important insights into how complex microbial communities may respond to, and influence, climate change, in addition to agricultural and clinical implications, including disease outbreaks following host shifts. Studies addressing these crucial topics are only made possible through large collaborative networks that reflect a global scientific mission, the open exchange of data and the sharing of results with the general public.

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Fig. 1: Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the participating countries.

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Acknowledgements

We thank K. Groten for insightful comments and discussions. Financial support is gratefully acknowledged from the Max Planck Society (H.S. and M.K.), the European Research Council (ERC CoG 819585 “SYMBeetle” to M.K.), and the German Research Foundation (SA 3105/2-1 to H.S.). The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the funding agencies and institutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany

    Hassan Salem

  2. Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany

    Martin Kaltenpoth

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  1. Hassan Salem
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H.S. and M.K. contributed equally to the conception and writing of the article.

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Hassan Salem or Martin Kaltenpoth.

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Salem, H., Kaltenpoth, M. The Nagoya Protocol and its implications for microbiology.
Nat Microbiol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01532-6

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  • Published: 29 November 2023

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01532-6

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