The Open BioSharing Workshop Series

Megan Zimroth

The Open BioSharing Workshop Series

Beneficial Bio

AWARD AMOUNT

0000 USD

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Beneficial Bio is a nonprofit helping labs worldwide secure reagents, tools, and services with specialized local support. With the assistance of Reclone.org, a global community of scientists enabling equitable access to reagents to foster research, innovation, and education for the bioeconomy.

The Open BioSharing Workshop Series workshops gathered initiatives and organizations engaged in an open model of biosharing meant to drive bioscience and the bioeconomy forward. The series was held on three separate days: March 13th, 28th and April 4th, 2024. The session on the 13th was on comparing open biosharing practises and experiences, the 14th was unpacking challenges and barriers to open biosharing, and the 4th of April looked at going beyond the open biosharing workshop series. Participants aimed to:

  • Take stock of the current state of the open-sharing of biological resources
  • Consolidate lessons learned and work on potential solutions for roadblocks
  • Identify ways to work collectively to overcome gaps and shared challenges

During the event, participants shared many experiences where sharing open biological resources has been fruitful and effective. Representatives from universities, companies, and organizations also developed and distributed open biological materials and resources to members at the sessions. Organizers and participants paid special interest to the biomaterial needs of the Global South, and how to establish systems of accessibility. They also shared challenges to an open model of biosharing, including funding and IP regulations.

Through the three days, participants identified important next steps and action points to prioritize:

  • Share current resources and best practices for open-sharing of biomaterials, drawing on the extensive and hard-earned knowledge of the workshop participants.
  • Develop success stories, exemplifying the potential of open biosharing, including for pandemic preparedness, research in LMICs, education and other areas where participants have concrete case studies.
  • Create a mechanism to identify material needs and applications, and a framework to recognize efforts and contributions to incentivize further adoption and redistribution.

Moving forward, the group aims to collectively enable the field to scale up, engaging with publishers and funders to raise more visibility and awareness. By establishing partnerships, they will incentivize more groups, organizations and initiatives to participate in an open biosharing environment.

Reference Number: SEF-109-2023

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