What is DSI?
Digital Sequence Information, or “DSI”, is a policy term that refers broadly to genomic sequence data and other related digital data. This includes the details of an organism’s DNA and RNA, which determine its characteristics and unique traits. There is yet no consensus as to the exact interpretation and scope of the term (for example whether it refers only to nucleotide sequences or also to the proteins and metabolites they encode).
DSI underpins vast swathes of current research in the life sciences, and has contributed to significant advances in medicine, conservation, agriculture, and other fields. All countries use and provide DSI, and it is used for basic and applied research in both the public and private sector.
- Recent advances in sequencing technology and synthetic biology have made it easier than ever before to sequence, store, and share segments of DNA and RNA virtually.
- DSI policy outcomes from negotiations in several United Nations fora will have far-reaching implications for researchers that generate and use DSI.
- DSI and its policy implications for access and benefit-sharing are currently being discussed among Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture (IT-PGRFA), the treaty on marine Biodiversity in areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), and under the WHO Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing agreement (PABS), which is part of the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
