LEXINGTON, Mass. (USA), and HEIDELBERG, Germany, April 14, 2010 – febit announced today the receipt of an EU patent, #EP 1 728 860B1, for its technology to synthesize minimal genomes.
The new patent protects febit’s technology for combining genes to construct a minimal functional genome or parts of it. The EU patent complements earlier patents on the synthesis of oligonucleotides for gene-assembling.
A minimal genome contains only the genetic information which is required to sustain life of a certain organism under predefined conditions. Minimal genomes help to identify essential genes and investigate the isolated activity of interesting genes in minimal cells. The synthesis of minimal genomes complements febit’s portfolio which contains groundbreaking technologies for the exploration of the genome. HybSelect, for example, is a technology for the enrichment of interesting genes for targeted resequencing. febit’s miRNA profiling enables the discovery and evaluation of new biomarker signatures for various diseases.
febit’s microfluidic biochip systems have been successfully used for several years in DNA analysis and synthesis. febit currently holds more than 20 patents and patent applications. In addition to bioanalytics, the company´s intellectual property portfolio predominantly covers the production of synthetic genes on biochips, an area where febit holds several key patents. Using a focussed application strategy, febit has been able to secure intellectual property rights on important product components, processes and evolving technologies.
