A Global Collaboration for Equitable Access to Biotechnology – Reclone’s Story has been published in Nature Methods
The ICGEB is delighted to highlight the publication of “Reclone: a global research community building equitable access to reagents” in Nature Methods that underscores the growing global movement to democratise access to molecular biology reagents and strengthen biotechnology capacity worldwide. Jennifer C. Molloy, who heads ICGEB’s Biomanufacturing Group, is among the lead authors of the publication.
The article presents the vision and progress of the Reagent Collaboration Network (Reclone), an international initiative established in 2020 to address one of the most persistent barriers facing researchers in low- and middle-income countries: reliable, affordable access to essential molecular biology reagents. By fostering open sharing of biomaterials, protocols, technical expertise and training, Reclone is building a decentralised ecosystem for reagent production that empowers researchers to manufacture critical tools locally.
Today, reagent manufacturing remains concentrated in a handful of regions, leaving many scientists across the Global South facing long procurement delays, high costs and regulatory hurdles that slow scientific discovery. Reclone’s collaborative model offers an alternative, based on open science, distributed innovation and regional capacity building.
“Ensuring equitable access to research reagents is fundamental to advancing scientific excellence globally,” said Jennifer C. Molloy of the Biomanufacturing Group, ICGEB and the University of Cambridge. “Reclone demonstrates how international collaboration, open technologies and local manufacturing can strengthen research ecosystems and enable scientists everywhere to contribute fully to addressing global challenges.”
Since its launch, Reclone has established regional distribution hubs across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, alongside a growing network of national nodes that support local distribution, training and technology development. The initiative has developed nearly 600 openly available DNA parts, distributed its Open DNA collections to more than 500 laboratories in over 40 countries, and trained hundreds of researchers through workshops and educational programmes focused on decentralized biomanufacturing.
A defining feature of Reclone is its commitment to open technologies. Using the OpenMTA framework, the network enables researchers to freely access, modify, and share biomaterials while preserving appropriate legal protections. Combined with standardised DNA collections, open protocols, and community-driven development, this approach accelerates innovation while reducing barriers to participation.
The publication also outlines Reclone’s future ambitions, including expanding its portfolio of open-source reagents, strengthening its global developer community, establishing additional regional hubs and national nodes, and supporting local biotechnology enterprises that can manufacture affordable research reagents tailored to regional needs.
As a member of the Reclone consortium, ICGEB contributes its expertise in biomanufacturing and capacity development to support sustainable biotechnology innovation across its global network of Member States. The Centre’s participation reflects its long-standing commitment to
global open science dedicated to improving equitable access to molecular biology reagents through collaborative development, decentralised manufacturing, open sharing of biomaterials and protocols, and capacity building. The network brings together researchers, universities, community laboratories, industry partners, and international organizations working towards a more accessible and sustainable biotechnology ecosystem.
About Reclone
Reclone (Reagent Collaboration Network) is a global open science initiative dedicated to improving equitable access to molecular biology reagents through collaborative development, decentralised manufacturing, open sharing of biomaterials and protocols, and capacity building. The network brings together researchers, universities, community laboratories, industry partners, and international organizations working towards a more accessible and sustainable biotechnology ecosystem.
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