Digital sequence information (DSI)

Last reviewed: ‎28‎ ‎March‎ ‎2024

Digital sequence information (DSI) refers to digital information about the biochemical constituents of genetic resources, in particular structures formed by molecular chains. Below you will find answers to frequently asked questions about DSI.

Questions and answers about DSI

Digital sequence information (DSI) refers to digital information about the biochemical constituents of genetic resources, in particular structures formed by molecular chains. There is not yet an internationally agreed definition or delimitation of what is included in the DSI, but the concept includes at least digital data on DNA and RNA sequences. It is possible that information about, for example, amino acid sequences, molecular structures, protein expression and metabolite profiles could also be included in the concept. International negotiations are underway on how to introduce fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of the use of DSI, and the definition will be developed in the context of these negotiations.  

DSI is widely used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, ranging from basic research to the development of advanced medical products and cosmetics, in biotechnology and not least in research aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The research object is rarely a single sequence, but it is common for researchers to compare hundreds or thousands of sequences with each other to solve their current research question. Public DSI databases contain hundreds of billions of digital sequences.

Today, DSI is usually not covered by the bilateral benefit-sharing stipulated by the Nagoya Protocol. The reason is that many Parties to the Nagoya Protocol believe that although DSI is information about genetic resources, it is not in itself a genetic resource. Many also consider that the bilateral benefit-sharing model is not suitable for the DSI, as researches usually download so many sequences at once from databases that it would be impossible to trace the provider country, apply for authorisations and enter into individual benefit-sharing agreements for all of them.

At present, therefore, there is almost no benefit-sharing from the use of DSI. Sequences in the databases may be freely downloaded and used in any research. Some countries, for example Brazil, however, has chosen to include DSI in its access legislation, and thus PIC and MAT from these countries can also regulate whether DSI produced in one research project may later be used in other research.

Biodiversity-rich middle-income and developing countries have experienced the lack of benefit-sharing as unfair and have argued in international forums that the current system enables the exploitation of their biological resources without them receiving anything in return. International negotiations are therefore underway, including under the Convention on Biological Diversity, to develop a benefit-sharing mechanism for DSI. Benefit-sharing negotiations from the use of DSI are also being conducted within the framework of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and in connection with the WHO Pandemic Treaty, which is currently being negotiated. The recently developed BBNJ (Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction)  also has its own agreed benefit-sharing mechanism for DSI. The BBNJ must be ratified by a certain number of countries before it can enter into force.

At present, there is neither Swedish nor EU legislation on benefit-sharing from the use of DSI. This means that neither Swedish nor EU authorities supervise the use of DSI. 

In some cases, DSI may still be covered by PIC and MAT from the provider country of the physical genetic resource – either because the DSI has been included in the permits and agreements that you received or entered into when you acquired your genetic resource, or because the sequences that you download from databases are already subject to requirements and restrictions in the PIC and MAT of the original user. In these cases, however, it is the supplier country's authorities, not Swedish authorities, that supervise the use of DSI.