Category: Intellectual property
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Bacteria Made Fluorescent in Unison for LED-Like Display
Researchers at University of California in San Diego have created a process for giving bacteria the ability to glow simultaneously in a colony, much like a neon sign. This discovery, which has commercial applications and for which a patent has been filed, is described this week in the advanced online issue of the journal Nature…
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Google Granted Patent for Autonomous Vehicle Technology
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded a patent to Google Inc. in Mountain View, California for its technology that enables cars to switch from driver to driver-less mode. Patent number 8,078,349 — entitled “Transitioning a mixed-mode vehicle to autonomous mode” — was awarded on 13 December. The patent covers the processes and devices for…
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Enzyme Developer In-Licenses Synthetic Biology Technology
Novozymes A/S in Bagsvaerd, Denmark has agreed to license genetic engineering technology from MorphoSys AG in Martinsried, Germany for the development of industrial biotechnology products. The multi-year agreement provides Novozymes, a manufacturer of industrial enzymes, with a non-exclusive license to use MorphoSys’s Slonomics technology. Financial and more precise timetable details of the deal were not…
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Patent Awarded for Cell Life, Protein Production Technology
Immunomedics Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Morris Plains, New Jersey has been granted a U.S. patent for its discoveries that extend the lifetime of cell lines and improve production of therapeutic proteins. Patent number 8,076,140 — “Mammalian cell lines for increasing longevity and protein yield from a cell culture” — was issued yesterday by the…
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Scientists Finding Problems Accessing Stem Cell Lines
A survey conducted by Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta of U.S. researchers working with stem cells suggests many scientists face road blocks, including rejected access, trying to acquire human embryonic stem cell lines. Results of the survey were published in the December issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology (paid subscription required). The survey of…
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Energy Dept to Test Expedited National Lab Tech Transfer
The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) will test a new process that it says will reduce some of the hurdles faced by businesses in commercializing the department’s research findings. The Agreements for Commercializing Technology (ACT) pilot test is expected to begin in January 2012 and involve the department’s national laboratories. In making the announcement, Deputy…
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U.S., China Patent Offices to Begin Reciprocity Tests
The patent offices of the U.S. and China are set to begin today pilot programs of reciprocity agreements to reduce the duplication of patent examinations between the two countries. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) agreed last month to hold these one-year pilot tests. Under the agreement…
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Patent Awarded for Synthetic Canine Antimicrobial Peptide
Kansas State University in Manhattan says a team of its researchers has received a U.S. patent for their discovery of a synthetic peptide that helps dogs better fight pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. The patent, “Antimicrobial Cathelicidin Peptides” was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to K-State nutritionist Tonatiuh Melgarejo, immunophysiologist…
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European, Chinese Patent Offices Agree to Translations
The European Patent Office (EPO) and State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the People’s Republic of China have agreed to make possible translations of each other’s patents to the general public. The two organizations signed the agreement at their annual joint meeting, held this year in Chongqing, China. The translations in English and Chinese, according…
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NIH Unveils Web Site to Expedite Lab Technology Transfer
National Institutes of Health has launched its electronic Research Materials (eRMa) Web site that aims to make it easier for prospects to locate and license findings from NIH’s labs for commercialization. The eRMA site was developed in response to President Obama’s order to agencies last month to speed the process of transferring federal scientific discoveries…