The Regents of the University of California (UC), the University of Vienna, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D., of the Max-Planck Institute in Berlin, have been granted a U.S. patent for intellectual property related to CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology. According to the companies, U.S. Patent No. 10,000,772 covers methods of using optimized guide RNA formats (including single-guide and dual-guide formats) in certain environments, including eukaryotic cells (such as human, animal, and plant cells). The optimized formats modify the part of a guide RNA that interacts with the CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease. The ‘772 patent claims priority to a U.S. provisional application, filed by UC on May 25, 2012, which broadly encompasses CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology invented by the research teams of Dr. Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., of UC Berkeley, the companies said. Both are listed as co-inventors on the ‘772 patent, as are Martin Jinek, Ph.D., of University of Zurich, a ...
Original Article: UCal and Partners Win U.S. Patent Related to CRISPR-Cas9