Benefit-Sharing in the Age of Synthetic Biology: From Genetic Resources to Digital Sequence Data

​This talk will provide an introduction to Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) frameworks, tracing their development from the Convention on Biological Diversity to the Nagoya Protocol and related international agreements. It will explore how these frameworks apply to the use of genetic resources in research and innovation, and how they are evolving in response to advances in synthetic biology and the growing use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI).

​The session will highlight key challenges and opportunities for ensuring fair and equitable benefit-sharing in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Speaker Bio - Martin Brink

​Dr Martin Brink is a policy expert in genetic resources and Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) at the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), where he has worked since 2012. He currently serves as the National Focal Point on ABS for the Netherlands and represents the country in key international fora, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Nagoya Protocol, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), and the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA).

​Martin has contributed to the development of EU guidance on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and has been actively involved in capacity-building and training programmes on ABS frameworks across Europe. His work also includes coordinating national biodiversity and genetic resources reporting.

​He holds an MSc in Tropical Crop Science and a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from Wageningen University.