PTFI-DSI

The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) is a global effort to provide data-driven solutions to transform food systems for improved human and planetary health. It envisions a world where each stakeholder involved in food and health systems is empowered to lead data-driven solutions for enhanced human and planetary wellbeing.

DSI is key to the PTFI’s goals of cataloguing the biomolecular composition of the world’s food supply. While the current placeholder term "digital sequence information" perhaps implies nucleotide sequence data (i.e., DNA or RNA), the possible definitions for DSI include several options ranging from nucleotide and protein sequence data to epigenetic, metabolomic and other biomolecular data types. Therefore, the metabolomic datasets themselves that are used and produced by PTFI will be in scope of the new benefit-sharing mechanism. And, in addition, the ability to interpret metabolomic data necessitates the use of genetic data. The DSI Scientific Network thus supports the PTFI in the topic of DSI.

The major goals of the PTFI-DSI participation are:

1. building capacity of researchers and data managers to engage in the policy discussions related to benefit sharing from the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
2. developing analysis and materials to convey messages in a simple and clear way to policymakers to help demonstrate the importance of an open access system to support research and innovation for a sustainable future