What kinds of biological inventions can be patented?
Inventions arising from biological research can mean nucleic acids, proteins, kits for the manipulation or use of DNA or proteins in the laboratory or in medicine, diagnostic kits, Pharmaceuticals, microarrays, pieces of software for bioinformatics analysis, or industrial-scale processes for the production of food or medicine. In this article, all of these types of invention are included in the term ‘biotechnology’. For example, biotechnology encompasses the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and all of the machines, enzymes, buffers, processes, and computer software to carry out PCR. This single, multi-faceted invention has not only spawned numerous patents, but numerous legal battles as well. As some of the original PCR patents draw close to expiration, and after many millions of dollars of expenses for both the patentee (Roche, Basel, Switzerland) and the challengers (Du Pont (Wilmington, USA), Promega (Madison, USA), and others), it appears that the legal battles are subsiding, with R
