Erik

Zhivkoplias

Msc

PhD candidate

erik.zhivkoplias@su.se

+46 72 014 1310

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Profile summary

  • Ocean governance
  • Biotechnology
  • Biodiversity
  • Digital sequence information
  • Social-ecological systems
  • Political science
  • Data science

Erik Zhivkoplias studies how and why marine genetics is important for the functioning of socio-ecological systems by combining a data-driven approach with analysis of rapidly emerging regulatory and governance policy.

Natural products derived from the ocean, including medicines, pharmaceutical products, and biochemical enzymes, are encoded in the genetic sequences found in marine organisms’ genomes. These genes are shaped by the flow of biological evolution, making the formation of genetic sequences a more complex process than that of other natural resources, such as fossils or minerals.

To fully understand the unprecedented value of the ocean as a vast library of genetic information for the entire biosphere, we need to develop a new approach. This value should be in the context of cooperation between the marine biotechnology sector (users) and socio-economic communities (providers), highlighting the importance of fair access and transparent governance. Zhivkoplias’ research focuses on understanding the significance of genetic sequences originating from the ocean, and moving towards solutions for establishing equitable and fair access to such information.

Zhivkoplias holds an MSc in Bioinformatics from Uppsala University and has a BA in Biology from St. Petersburg State University. He also took machine learning and statistical modelling courses at the University of Groningen.

Before joining Stockholm Resilience Centre, Zhivkoplias worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) studying the molecular evolution of viruses, and the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) modelling gene regulatory networks based on motif composition.

Zhivkoplias is part of iDSI - an independent group of interdisciplinary researchers working on digital sequence information, focusing on integrating ethical, social, and legal principles into responsible and equitable data governance frameworks.

Supervisor:
Robert Blasiak

Key publications

Growing prominence of deep-sea life in marine bioprospecting. Zhivkoplias, E., Jouffray, JB., Dunshirn, P. et al. Growing prominence of deep-sea life in marine bioprospecting. Nat Sustain 7, 1027–1037 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01392-w

How transdisciplinarity can help biotech-driven biodiversity research. https://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(25)00135-0

Dunshirn, P., Zhivkoplias, E. Conducting marine genetic research for whom? Mapping knowledge flows from science to patents. npj Ocean Sustain 3, 50 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00088-0

Blasiak, R., Jouffray, JB., Amon, D.J., ... Zhivkoplias, E., et al. Making marine biotechnology work for people and nature. Nat Ecol Evol 7, 482–485 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01976-9

Generation of realistic gene regulatory networks by enriching for feed-forward loops. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.815692/full

Publications by Zhivkoplias, Erik

Conducting marine genetic research for whom? Mapping knowledge flows from science to patents

Journal / article | 2024

Paul Dunshirn, Erik Zhivkoplias. 2024. Conducting marine genetic research for whom? Mapping knowledge flows from science to patents. npj Ocean Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00088-0

Marine genetic resources hold great value for biotechnological innovation and sustainability-oriented research. However, studies indicate that intellectual property rights pertaining to these resources are concentrated in a handful of companies and countries, triggering contentious international debates. This paper highlights an overlooked dimension: the flow of scientific knowledge in the provision and use of marine genetic r...

Who owns reefer vessels? Uncovering the ecosystem of transshipment in fisheries

Journal / article | 2024

Frida Bengtsson, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Shinnosuke Nakayama, Erik Zhivkoplias, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Robert Blasiak, Elizabeth R. Selig, Henrik Österblom. 2024. Who owns reefer vessels? Uncovering the ecosystem of transshipment in fisheries. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn3874

A central barrier to effective governance and accountability in fisheries is the limited transparency of corporate ownership. Transshipment—the transfer of catches, fuel, parts, or crew between fishing and cargo vessels known as reefers—is often criticized for its opacity and poor governance. Better insight into the beneficial ownership of vessels involved in transshipment and their operational patterns could lead to more effe...

A review of marine genetic resource valuations

Journal / article | 2024

Tilde Krusberg, Lova Schildt, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Erik Zhivkoplias, Robert Blasiak. 2024. A review of marine genetic resource valuations. npj Ocean Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00081-7

Marine biotechnology is a rapidly growing sector of the ocean economy, but efforts to assess its value, and that of the genetic resources that enable it, remain contentious. Through a comprehensive literature review, we identified 67 distinct valuations of marine genetic resources. We analysed these using the IPBES Values Assessment typology and found a predominance of behaviour-based valuations using economic value indicators...

Growing prominence of deep-sea life in marine bioprospecting

Journal / article | 2024

Erik Zhivkoplias, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Paul Dunshirn, Agnes Pranindita, Robert Blasiak. 2024. Growing prominence of deep-sea life in marine bioprospecting. Nature Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01392-w

Marine bioprospecting, which involves the exploration of genetic and biochemical material from marine organisms, can be used towards addressing a broad range of public and environmental health applications such as disease treatment, diagnostics and bioremediation. Marine genetic resources are important reservoirs for such bioprospecting efforts; however, the extent to which they are used commercially for natural product discov...