New variables in patent dispute over gene magic scissors

CRISPR-Cas9 technology is a gene site-directed modification technology that has developed rapidly in recent years, which makes up for many shortcomings of traditional gene editing technology and makes it easier and easier to edit genes at will. Therefore, CRISPR-Cas9 technology has become the "trump card" of gene editing technology ".

The Cas9 protein contains two nuclease domains that can cleave two single strands of DNA separately. Cas9 first combines with crRNA and tracrRNA to form a complex, and then binds to and invades DNA through PAM sequence to form a RNA-DNA complex structure, and then cuts the target DNA double strand to break the DNA double strand. The crRNA( CRISPR-derived RNA) binds to the tracrRNA (trans-activating RNA) by base pairing to form a tracrRNA/crRNA complex, which guides the nuclease Cas9 protein to cleave double-stranded DNA at the sequence target site paired with the crRNA. By artificially designing these two RNAs, sgRNA (singleguide RNA) with guiding effect can be formed, which is sufficient to guide the site-specific cleavage of DNA by Cas9. The CRISPR-Cas9 system consists of only two elements: the Cas9 protein and the sgRNA(single guide RNA). So people will CRISPR-Cas9 technology is also called Cas9/sgRNA technology.

The patent for this technology is currently in the hands of Chinese scientist Zhang Feng, which has also caused controversy. On April 15, 2014, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent for CRISPR-Cas9 technology to the Broad Institute, where Zhang Feng works. Patent rights include the use of CRISPR in eukaryotic cells or any species in which the cell has a nucleus. This means that they have the right to use CRISPR in any organism except bacteria, including mice, pigs, cows and people. This gives him and his institute control over virtually all of the important commercial applications associated with CRISPR.

Although Zhang received his first patent on CRISPRs, Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, currently at the Helmholtz Infection Research Center in Germany, filed their patent applications seven months earlier than Zhang. It is speculated that the most likely reason Zhang Feng was granted a patent in the first place was that he applied for a fast-track patent (fast-trackpatent), which granted him intellectual property (IP) just six months after he filed his application.

Since then, in November 2014 in Silicon Valley, USA, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won The Breakthrough Prizes of Life Sciences with a prize of 3 million US dollars. The two high-value goddesses in academic circles, dressed in gorgeous black dresses, took over The Breakthrough Prizes trophy and prize money surrounded by Hollywood stars. Their pioneering work in CRISPR-Cas9 has been greatly recognized. Zhang Feng, another pioneering figure in this field, is not listed as a co-inventor to share the award, which also strengthens the voice of controversy.

Then, at the end of last year, Jennifer Doudna and collaborators published a paper saying that they had discovered new CRISPR-Cas gene editing systems X and Y:CRISPR-CasX and CRISPR-CasY, which may be used to develop gene editing tools of great application. The paper indicates that the University of California has filed a provisional patent (provisional patent) application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the latest discovery in the paper, Jennifer Doudna is one of the inventors.

The new CRISPR-Cas gene editing systems X and Y are found in non-cultures, or "non-culturable". The natural environment in which human beings live is filled with a variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. Only a limited number of culture methods have been found to produce a limited number of microorganisms. More kinds of microorganisms are hidden outside the boundaries of human cognition.

The researchers in this experiment skipped the "culture" step and "directly" studied the microorganisms in groundwater, soil, infant intestines and various other environments. In their genomes, by analogy with CRISPR-Cas9, they find CRISPR-CasX and CRISPR-CasY.

In addition, the authors report for the first time that Cas9 has been found in the archaea domain. This is quite interesting because in the past the academic community has always believed that prokaryotes do not have such gene editing systems.

News source:http://www.y-lp.com/pages/Article.aspx?id=4772172026094834742

This news was re-edited and reorganized by the Huaxun team and added analytical comments.