I study environmental DNA from different surfaces, like air and dust. This isn’t ‘living’ per se, but is it still regulated by the Protocol?

Posted by anon on 04/07/2020.

I study environmental DNA from different surfaces, like air and dust. This isn’t ‘living’ per se, but is it still regulated by the Protocol?

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  1. editor

    Great question! We’re checking with some colleagues and will update this comment soon.

    1. editor

      Right now this is not regulated at all, but environmental samples may contain entire microbes, and thus for sample collections such as soil in a freezer, you may want to look at how the microbial culture collections are handled through the Nagoya Protocol. Regarding international policy, for soils, we already have a thorough USDA import system, and most countries have a rigorous export system (assuming you would import into the US) and currently, these agreements would hold up, not be replaced, by NP agreements.

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