Patent Portfolio
OGT has a large number of patent families covering areas that are relevant to the biological sciences such as microarrays, genomics and electrochemistry.
Some of the patent families actively out-licensed by OGT are detailed below
Family 1 - Analysing polynucleotide sequences
This patent family covers oligonucleotide microarrays, their manufacture and their use for the analysis of polynucleotide sequences. These fundamental patents are also referred to as the “Southern Array Patents”
Family 2 - Support-bound oligonucleotides
These patents describe the use of a covalent phosphodiester link for attaching nucleic acids to solid supports. The link is easy to synthesise and is stable under de-protection conditions. The link is formed between a terminal phosphate group of a nucleoside and a hydroxyl group on the surface so that it does not disrupt any hybridisation reactions.
Family 3 - Electropatterning of surfaces
These patents describe the use of electrochemistry to create microarrays; in particular using electrode technology to treat a region of a surface and synthesise oligomers, specifically oligonucleotides on a surface.
Family 6 - Detecting sequence variations
The patents in this family describe the use of microarray technology to detect variations in DNA sequences e.g. SNPs or different lengths of tandem repeat regions. Target nucleic acids hybridise to probes on an array and are extended through ligation or chain extension to detect variations.
Family 8 - Common Cathode for Electrochemistry
PCT/GB2004/004390 WO2005/037425
This family describes applications for a method for electrochemically treating or modifying a substrate using a device which has a common first electrode. This method is suitable for generating patterns of oligonucleotides bound to a solid surface or for making devices on printed circuit boards.
Family 11 - Treatment of Substrates using an Electrochemical Method
This application describes the use of electrodes to generate an active redox product which can modify an adjacent surface, suitable for the step-wise chemical synthesis of oligomers such as oligonucleotides on a surface. Diffusion of the redox product within the electrolyte is controlled by quenching with a