Basecamp Research: Setting a Benchmark for Ethical Biodiscovery
Tracks
Mossman Ballroom
| Monday, July 27, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM |
Speaker
Miss Nadine Greenhalgh
Biodiversity Partnerships Manager
Basecamp Research
Basecamp Research: Setting a Benchmark for Ethical Biodiscovery
ISE Congress 2026 Abstract
Protecting biodiversity is not only a scientific challenge, but an ethical one. As demand for genetic resources accelerates - driven by advances in artificial intelligence in biotechnology it is increasingly critical that Indigenous peoples, local communities, and biodiversity-rich nations are not only contributors to discovery, but active beneficiaries of its outcomes. AI now enables the design of entirely novel biological compounds derived from genetic information found in nature, making equitable governance of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) more urgent than ever.
Basecamp Research is revolutionising how we value and conserve ecosystems through the largest commercial biodiscovery program ever. Through Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) partnerships established across five continents and 28 countries, Basecamp Research collaborates directly with governments, local institutions, and scientific organisations to access genetic resources under mutually agreed ABS frameworks. These partnerships enable countries and communities to share and benefit from the use of their biodiversity and associated DSI.
Central to this model is direct investment in local science. Basecamp Research’s ABS collaborations support local employment for biodiversity sampling and DNA analysis,, donation of molecular biology laboratory and training, data feedback for research aligned with national priorities etc. The resulting DSI is integrated into Basecamp Research’s private commercial database -the world’s largest and fastest-growing protein sequence database, containing 9.8 billion sequences. This ethically sourced dataset fuels AI foundation models that create a digital twin of Earth’s biodiversity, enabling the design of novel proteins and biological systems for applications ranging from life-saving medicines to sustainable industrial solutions.
In the event of commercialisation, benefit-sharing agreements ensure that royalties are returned to genetic resource providers whenever AI-driven protein design or biotechnological applications utilise their DSI, guaranteeing equitable sharing of revenues from downstream innovation.
This presentation explores how the natural future for AI in biotech demands partnership with biodiversity.
Basecamp Research is revolutionising how we value and conserve ecosystems through the largest commercial biodiscovery program ever. Through Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) partnerships established across five continents and 28 countries, Basecamp Research collaborates directly with governments, local institutions, and scientific organisations to access genetic resources under mutually agreed ABS frameworks. These partnerships enable countries and communities to share and benefit from the use of their biodiversity and associated DSI.
Central to this model is direct investment in local science. Basecamp Research’s ABS collaborations support local employment for biodiversity sampling and DNA analysis,, donation of molecular biology laboratory and training, data feedback for research aligned with national priorities etc. The resulting DSI is integrated into Basecamp Research’s private commercial database -the world’s largest and fastest-growing protein sequence database, containing 9.8 billion sequences. This ethically sourced dataset fuels AI foundation models that create a digital twin of Earth’s biodiversity, enabling the design of novel proteins and biological systems for applications ranging from life-saving medicines to sustainable industrial solutions.
In the event of commercialisation, benefit-sharing agreements ensure that royalties are returned to genetic resource providers whenever AI-driven protein design or biotechnological applications utilise their DSI, guaranteeing equitable sharing of revenues from downstream innovation.
This presentation explores how the natural future for AI in biotech demands partnership with biodiversity.
Biography
As the third employee at Basecamp Research, she led the establishment of biodiversity data-access partnerships in over 20 countries and manages large-scale collaborations focused on scientific development in Costa Rica, Malta, and the USA. She has represented Basecamp Research at UN Convention on Biological Diversity meetings, sharing practical experience in building Nagoya Protocol - compliant partnerships while engaging with evolving international regulatory frameworks and global policy discussions.
