Abstract The wide geographic distribution, combined with the vast taxonomic and functional diversity of microorganisms make them indispensable reservoirs of genetic variation that sustain ecosystem resilience and fuel biotechnological innovation. This diversity requires microbiologists to navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape governed by multiple United Nations (UN) treaties and their respective access and benefit sharing frameworks as well as regulatory frameworks specific to particular ecosystems, biosecurity, pathogens, and intellectual property. This complex regulatory web is also actively growing and changing, which makes it immensely challenging for a “regular” microbiologist to navigate. For policymakers and negotiators, it is also difficult to appreciate the complexity that practitioners experience. This policy briefing provides a concise regulatory guide for practitioners and policymakers alike, summarized in a graphical overview, to provide more clarity and understanding for those at the edge of decision-making and practice.
Faggionato et al. (2026) studied this question.