Conducting marine genetic research for whom? Mapping knowledge flows from science to patents

Abstract

Marine genetic resources hold great value for biotechnological innovation and sustainability-oriented research. However, studies indicate that intellectual property rights pertaining to these resources are concentrated in a handful of companies and countries, triggering contentious international debates. This paper highlights an overlooked dimension: the flow of scientific knowledge in the provision and use of marine genetic research. We identified 23,417 scientific studies that use marine genetic sequences, traced patent references to these studies, and revealed provider and user countries. We found that molecular biological research, oftentimes on bacterial species, attracted the most patenting interest. Some countries owned relatively more patents than they provided in science, with the U.S. benefiting the most from available research. Science by developing countries’ researchers saw limited uptake in patents. These findings aim to inform international biodiversity regimes, such as the UN Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), on how to more equitably distribute marine genetic resources’ economic, socio-cultural, and ecological benefits.