Background
In decision 16/21, the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive Secretary to commission an independent scientific study compiling and summarizing existing scientific studies, public research and development funding needs and priorities, as well as research road maps on synthetic biology applications that are relevant to achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular its Targets 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13 and 17.
In response to this request, the Secretariat issued notification 2025-070 calling for expressions of interest for the independent, scientific study on synthetic biology and held an informal webinar to explain the process. Expressions of interest were received from researchers and teams of researchers from governmental agencies, research and academic institutions and non-governmental organizations.
Following a selection process, the Brazilian Association of Bioinnovation (Associação Brasileira de Bioinovação), SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biodiversity and Circular Economy (Instituto SENAI de Inovação em Biodiversidade e Economia Circular) and SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biosynthetic and Fibers (Instituto SENAI de Inovação em Biossintéticos e Fibras) were selected to conduct the study.
The final study will be made available for the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Synthetic Biology (19 to 22 May 2026).
Peer review
In notification 2026-032, the Secretariat invited Parties, other Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women organizations, youth organizations and relevant stakeholders to participate in the peer review of the independent scientific study compiling and summarizing existing scientific studies, public research and development funding needs and priorities, as well as research road maps on synthetic biology applications that are relevant to achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular its Targets 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13 and 17 (paragraph 9(b) of decision 16/21).
Accordingly, the draft independent study has been made available as the following files*:
Independent study: independent-scientific-study-synbio.pdf
Supplementary data file: Suplementary_file.docx
Table S1 (Supplementary data): Table S1.xlsx
Extracted patents (Supplementary data): Supplementary data - Extracted patents.xlsx
Stakeholder responses (Supplementary data): Supplementary Dataset 3-Stakeholders.xlsx
The template for the peer review is available here: peer_review_template-synbio-study.xlsx
All submissions should be accompanied by an endorsement letter from the National Focal Point to the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Head of Organization, as appropriate.
The deadline to submit peer review comments through the Biosafety Clearing-House platform is 13 April 2026. Only comments using the template provide will be accepted.
Kindly note that the current version of the independent study is being posted as received without formal editing. An editing process will be conducted during the finalization of the independent study following the peer review.
Peer review comments received will be made available through the Biosafety Clearing-House.
*Note: It has been observed that, due to a formatting issue, the numbering of the figures has been affected. This matter will be duly corrected in the final version of the document. The content itself remains accurate and has not been impacted.
Authors' institutional profiles
The Brazilian Bioinnovation Association (ABBI) is a non-profit organization driving Brazil's advancement in the global bioeconomy. It unites companies and institutions creating bio-based technologies that generate economic, social, and environmental value. It seeks to lead the transformation of the Brazilian economy through bioinnovation, promoting a favorable institutional environment, multisectoral collaboration, sharing knowledge and promoting innovation guided by ethics, science, transparency, and a commitment to environmental and social prosperity through a bio-based, renewable, and sustainable economy.
The SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biodiversity and Circular Economy (Instituto SENAI de Inovação em Biodiversidade e Economia Circular) is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to research, development, and innovation in bioeconomy to advancing industrial competitiveness in Brazil through applied research focused on biodiversity and the circular economy. It plays a strategic national role by identifying opportunities to add value to Brazilian biodiversity and support innovation across multiple productive sectors, integrating its rich biodiversity into global value chains.
Since its creation in 2016, the SENAI Institute of Innovation in Biosynthetic and Fibers (Instituto SENAI de Inovação em Biossintéticos e Fibras) established itself as one of the main RD&I institutes in Brazil working with the bioeconomy. For this, it integrates competencies in biotechnology, fibers, business intelligence and chemical processes to help industrial partners innovate. Therefore, it has a long track record of RD&I with Brazilian and international partners, from sectors such as chemicals, cosmetics, energy, food and beverage, health, paper and pulp, textiles, among others.
