The CRISPR-Cas9 Patent Appeal: Where Do We Go From Here?

An appellate court in the United States affirmed the Patent Office's finding that the Broad Institute's patents covering eukaryotic applications of CRISPR-Cas9 was separately patentable over the University of California's (UC) earlier patent application. This does not bode well for future negotiations between UC and the Broad Institute, even as nuclease technology continues to eclipse the original dispute. This perspective explores the appellate decision, where UC goes from here, and what this all means for scientists in the future.