Intellectual property

Oxford Nanopore has a broad patent portfolio, through in-house development and licensing agreements with third parties. Oxford Nanopore has an intellectual property portfolio of more than 2,000 issued patents and patent applications, in over 260 patent families. These cover all aspects of nanopore sensing including fundamental patents for nanopore sensing, and patents relating to DNA-sequencing.

Oxford Nanopore is developing a platform technology that may be adapted with a variety of nanopore sensors for the analysis of different molecules. The IP portfolio reflects the broad range of expertise and active R&D projects that are in progress at Oxford Nanopore and supported research within the laboratories of our academic collaborators. These projects include the development of nanopore DNA-sequencing technology, protein analysis, and the development of solid-state nanopores including graphene.

Between the Company’s foundation in 2005 and 2008, Oxford Nanopore established a range of exclusive licensing agreements and collaborations with the world’s leading researchers in Nanopore sensing. These included Oxford University Innovation, Harvard University, UMASS, Boston University, Texas A&M and University of California, Santa Cruz. The full range of agreements now includes Brown University, Cambridge University, Illinois University, Stanford University, VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, KU Leuven, University College of London, University of Michigan, University of Massachusetts, The Ohio State University, Yissum R&D Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Southampton.

The following themes are included in Oxford Nanopore's patent portfolio:

• DNA base identification using a biological nanopore
• Addition of adapters to nanopores for sensing
• Modified nanopores for sensing
• Use of molecular motors in combination with nanopores
• Localising polymerases to a surface, including pore-bound localisation
• Use of solid-state nanopores for detecting labelled ssDNA and dsDNA
• Use of solid-state devices to control movement of polymers
• Detection and positional measurement of probes on a DNA strand as the strand passes through a nanoscale detector
• Methods of fabricating solid-state nanopores including multi-layered devices
• The use of functionalised solid-state nanopores for molecular characterisation, including graphene, tunnelling currents and nanotubes
• Time-based multiplexed nanopore measurements on a single chip, including the incorporation of 96 well plate
• Use of voltage to control DNA under feedback
• Measurement of DNA interacting with a limited volume, such as a polymerase on a surface
• Array chip for parallel sensing from multiple channels
• Sequencing by means of detection of products of enzymatic action on DNA/RNA using a nanopore
• The use of multiple 'nodes' to analyse samples in a federated/clustered manner to reduce the time to result, and improve operating efficiencies
• Methods and algorithms for nanopore signal analysis
• Nanopore arrays/nanopore array structures
• Direct RNA sequencing
• Protein characterisation using nanopores
• Chip/array architecture
• Methods of sensitivity enhancement