Basque Microalgae Culture Collection (BMCC): new microalgae collection, new opportunities for the blue economy.

Our colleagues from the Plentzia Marine Station (PiE) from the University of the Basque Country (UPV) presented a poster about the Basque Microalgae Culture collection titled: “Basque Microalgae Culture Collection (BMCC): new microalgae collection, new opportunities for the blue economy” in the poster session.

In addition, Sergio Seoane participated in a round table titled: ”Biobanking for our environment: plant biobanking, species preservation and crop opportunities”. This session was about how the environmental biobanks and the conservation of plant genetic resources play a central role in sustainable agriculture, food security, livelihoods, and products for human health as well as in conservation and restoration of nature reserves.

ASSEMBLE Plus 2021: Marine biological research at the frontier (online conference)

On the 22nd January 2021, Fiz da Costa presented the services provided at Toralla Marine Science Station (ECIMAT), which belongs to Marine Research Centre (CIM) of the University of Vigo. In this talk it was presented the information about the Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit (ABS) regulations that is available at ECIMAT website and the ABS guide for users of Spanish genetic resources  that were developed thanks to the support of EBB project.

The talk is available through the YouTube channel of European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC). If you want to visualize, please click here (from minute 28 onwards).

WiLDSI webinar “Finding compromise on ABS & DSI in the CBD: Requirements & policy ideas from a scientific perspective”

Ibon Cancio was invited to participate as scientific advisor in the steering committee of the German project “WiLDSI: Science-based approaches for Digital Sequence Information” (Directed by: Leibniz Institutes DSMZ, IPK Gatersleben). In the framework of this project the White Paper “Finding compromise on ABS & DSI in the CBD: Requirements & policy ideas. From a scientific perspective”. Scholz, A.H.; Hillebrand, U.; Freitag, J; Cancio, I.; et al. 49 pp. (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35180.80001) was published here

The aim of the paper is to present the needs of researchers in regard to DSI and the hurdles that new regulations on DSI inclusion within Nagoya protocol on Access and benefit Sharing could impose in scientific advances, The paper presents 5 policy options that would safeguard open access, simplicity, legal certainty, future proof and present possibilities to include genetic resources. This is presented as a discussion paper in advance of the COP15 meeting to take place in China in 2021.

The White paper was publicly launched on the 7th of October of 2020 through a Webinar attended worldwide by 406 registered stakeholders. Ibon Cancio presented the section entitled “Misfits: Nagoya Protocol and DSI”.

The webinar “Finding compromise on ABS & DSI in the CBD: Requirements & policy ideas from a scientific perspective” can be visualised in the recorded video to be found here

“Reprodução em aquacultura”

On 13th July of 2020, Drs. Elvira Fatsini and Catarina Oliveira gave one talk entitled “Reprodução em aquacultura” inside of “Ciência, uma visão do futuro” course held in Faro (Portugal) by Zoom platform.

On this course Drs. Fatsini and Oliveira gave a masterclass showing how the reproduction works in aquaculture, above all in fish species and showed several reproduction tools as cryopreservation, promoting the EBB project and the importance of preserving biological genetic material and the usage
for aquaculture.

This course was organized by the University of Algarve to students from 15 and 18 years old.

Webinar: “Digital Sequence Information: general overview and use in environmental genomics”

Ibon Cancio (UPV/EHU) was one of the participants of the “Briefing on Digital Sequence Information (DSI)”, held at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ. He presented the goals of the EBB project in connection with aspects related to the incorporation of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) to the definition of Genetic Resources in the context of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS). His talk was entitled: “Digital Sequence Information: general overview and use in environmental genomics”.

The webinar was an event originated upon request of the Ministry of Environment of Chile to assist the country to make informed decisions on its position for COPI5 around incorporation of DSI to the ABS practice in the Convention of Biological Diversity.

 

Digital Life Norway, Bioprospecting Workshop on Access, Regulation and Digital Data

The workshop aimed at enabling an arena for researchers, policy advisors and legal practitioners to discuss current developments on debates on access to and commercial exploitation of biodiversity. Some key questions: What happens when physical collections become digital data? How would data be published, stored and shared? How would the access to digital collections be regulated? How would that affect access to physical collections? Do we need national systems for monitoring access and use of physical/digital collections? What are best policy solutions?

The workshop started by inviting a discussion on main challenges regarding access to genetic materials, to follow on the particular debate on access to Digital Sequence Information (DSI) as it is currently addressed in the framework of the Nagoya Protocol. Kjersti Lie Gabrielsen from Marbank, IMR, was part of the program giving an introduction to the way Marbank and other collections, including EBB, are approaching the challenges.

For full program see

https://digitallifenorway.org/gb/arrangements/dln-bioprospecting-workshop

Ocean Sustainability Bergen Conference; ‘SDG14 – Life Below Water: Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Ocean’

Ocean Sustainability Bergen is a virtual centre at the University of Bergen (UiB), working with partner institutions worldwide in ocean science and education. The aim is to engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDSs). Ocean Sustainability Bergen takes care of day to day activities in relation to UiB’s status as the Hub for SDG 14: Life below water as appointed by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and is also the SDG 14 representative in the International Association of Universities (IAU) SDG Cluster.

The focus for the first Ocean Sustainability Bergen Conference:

-Is the combination of conservation and sustainable use of the ocean an illusion or a realistic possibility?
-How can science be used to underpin the development of a useful instrument for BBNJ?
-In more general terms, how can scientific advice contribute to decision-making processes in global ocean governance?

The objectives:

-To create awareness in a wide range of academic disciplines of current challenges for global ocean governance and to inspire their increased involvement.
-To provide an arena for exchange of science and policy ideas directly relevant to the intergovernmental negotiations on marine BBNJ.
-To discuss how a BBNJ instrument can contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda.

Kjersti Lie Gabrielsen from Marbank, IMR, was one of the panelists on day 2 of the conference. In the beginning of the panel debate she gave an introduction to the use and regulation of marine genetic resources  including the role of biorepositories where EBB also was presented.

Part of the program:

11:20-12:40 Moderated panel on maritime governance, marine genetic resources, ocean and climate
Moderator: Professor Edvard Hviding, Department of Social Anthropology, UiB

Panelists:

Sigrid Eskeland Schütz, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, Norway.
Kjersti Lie Gabrielsen, Chief scientist, Marbank, Institute of Marine Research, Troms.
Elizabeth Nyman, Maritime Studies Programme Coordinator and Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, USA.
Cristina Voigt, Professor, Department of Public and International Law, University of Oslo, Norway.

Link to the program:

https://www.uib.no/en/ocean/128020/sdg14-%E2%80%93-life-below-water-conservation-and-sustainable-use-ocean#day-2-22-october-bbnj-frontline-for-the-high-seas

Biotechnologies marines – Sorbonne Université

Marine biotechnology is a growing sector that is a remarkable source of innovation. Sorbonne University is one of Europe’s leading research forces in this field. Innovations and know-how were presented in the 15-minutes pitch format.

We met experts in the field and discovered EMBRC-France platforms, this national marine biology research infrastructure offers innovative services open to academic and private actors.

The Sorbonne University-Enterprise meetings presents a great opportunity to exchange and share ideas between industry and academia; the know-how and results, that are likely to be transferred or co-developed with SMEs, specialized VSEs or large companies, in order to meet the needs of industrial partners.

Ocean BtoB

Pôler Mer Bretagne Atlantique has organized Ocean BtoB. This is the annual business convention around marine technologies open to companies from all maritime fields. This event aims to create links between industrial clusters around maritime innovation and blue biotechnologies.

Ocean BtoB brings together a wide range of companies, large groups and SMEs, wishing to develop their business in the blue economy.

BtoB meetings allow potential partnerships.

Develop business and discover innovative solutions and support tools for SMEs through thematic workshops.

EBB in Costa Rica

On November 2019, Dr. Elsa Cabrita gave the talk “Reproducción de peces”, in Puntarenas (Costa Rica). On this course Dr. Elsa Cabrita gave a masterclass showing how to cryopreserve semen from the fish “pargo manchado”, disseminating also the EBB project. This course was organized by LARVAplus red (CYTED).