US Tries to Limit Gene Patents
WASHINGTON, DC-The US Patent and Trademark Office is trying to stop companies from frivolous attempts of gene patenting.
New guidelines were released Friday, aimed at ending patents for companies that do not have specific utility or substantial claim to a gene.
Companies can patent a gene as long as they specify the use and show that their claim is worthy of a patent. The guidelines were written to prevent companies from prematurely patenting genes before understanding their uses.
Even though there were protests by people who argue that genes are part of nature and cannot be patented, the officials decided genes can be patented as long as they have been cloned or reproduced in a laboratory and their function is defined in some way.
Information from www.houstonchronicle.com
The CDC at a Crossroads: Budget Cuts, Public Health, and the Growing Threat of Infectious Diseases
March 12th 2025Budget cuts to the CDC threaten disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health programs, increasing risks from measles, avian flu, and future pandemics while straining health care infrastructure nationwide.
Standing Up for Science: A Rally Participant’s Perspective
March 11th 2025Infection Control Today's Editorial Advisory Board member and contributing editor, Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, recently joined the Stand Up for Science rally in Washington, DC. She gives a first-person perspective on the rally and the rally-goers' strong message.
