How Sequence Listing Accuracy Directly Impacts Patent Claim Scope
Introduction In biotechnology and life sciences patent practice, sequence listings are far more than a formal filing requirement. For applications that claim nucleic acids, amino acid sequences, proteins, peptides, antibodies, or other sequence-defined biological subject matter, the accuracy and completeness of the sequence listing can directly affect how broadly an invention can be claimed and […]
EPO Guidelines 2025: Updated Rules for Sequence Listing in European Patents
For biotechnology and life-sciences patent applicants, sequence listings are an important part of preparing a European patent application. The 2025 Guidelines for Examination in the European Patent Office reaffirm and clarify the European Patent Office’s approach to nucleotide and amino-acid sequences, particularly the use of WIPO Standard ST.26. The requirements are significant because an incomplete, incorrectly formatted, […]
ROSPATENT Sequence Listing Requirements for Biotech Patents in Russia
Introduction Sequence listings are a critical formal and substantive component of many biotechnology patent applications filed with the Russian Patent Office (ROSPATENT). Applications covering DNA, RNA, proteins, peptides, antibodies, microorganisms, genetic constructs and other biotechnology inventions may require detailed disclosure of nucleotide and/or amino-acid sequences. For Russian patent applications filed today, the applicable framework is […]
Homology and Consensus Sequences: Patent Disclosure and Listing Requirements
Patent applications involving biotechnology, molecular biology, antibodies, proteins, nucleic acids, and genetic engineering frequently describe sequences by reference to homology, identity, similarity, consensus sequences, or sequence variants rather than by setting out a single exact sequence. These disclosures can raise two separate issues: substantive patent disclosure requirements and formal sequence-listing requirements. For U.S. applications filed […]
Sequence Listing Due Diligence in Biotech Mergers and Acquisitions
Sequence listings can be among the most technically important and legally sensitive assets reviewed during a biotech merger or acquisition. They may underpin patent rights, support regulatory filings, document proprietary research, and reveal the scope of a company’s biological and technological capabilities. Yet sequence-listing due diligence is often treated as a narrow patent-document exercise. In […]
What Patent Attorneys Need to Know About Outsourcing Sequence Listing Preparation
For biotechnology and life-sciences patent practices, sequence listings can be among the most technically demanding parts of preparing a patent application. They require accurate handling of nucleotide and amino acid sequences, structured data, bibliographic information, feature annotations, and increasingly sophisticated filing standards. Since July 1, 2022, applications filed internationally, nationally, or regionally that contain qualifying […]
Understanding CRF Requirements in USPTO Sequence Listing Submissions
Sequence listings are a critical filing requirement for patent applications that disclose qualifying nucleotide or amino acid sequences. For practitioners working with older U.S. applications, the term CRF (computer-readable form) is closely associated with the former ST.25 sequence-listing regime. For newer applications, however, the USPTO has transitioned to WIPO Standard ST.26, which requires sequence listings […]
Recombinant Protein Patent Applications: Sequence Listing Requirements and Tips
A recombinant protein can be the heart of a biotech patent. But when that protein is defined by an amino acid sequence, getting the sequence listing wrong can create an avoidable prosecution problem. For U.S. patent applications, sequence disclosures are subject to detailed formatting and filing requirements. Since July 1, 2022, qualifying applications have generally […]
Telomere and Telomerase Sequence Disclosures in Biotech Patent Applications
Telomere and telomerase inventions present a distinctive patent-drafting challenge: the biological concept may be described broadly, but the patent application often depends on precise nucleotide and amino-acid sequences to establish what the invention actually encompasses. This creates a strategic tension for biotech patent applicants. A narrow disclosure of a particular telomerase sequence may be easy […]
Circular RNA (circRNA) Patent Applications: Sequence Listing Compliance
Circular RNA, commonly abbreviated as circRNA, has become an important area of biotechnology research and patent activity. As companies and research organizations develop circRNA-based therapeutics, delivery systems, manufacturing methods and other applications, patent applications increasingly contain detailed nucleotide sequence information. For patent applicants working in this field, describing the biological invention is only part of […]