On Aug. 20, 2019, the eleventh U.S. CRISPR-Cas9 patent was awarded to University of California, the University of Vienna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for ‘Methods and compositions for RNA-directed target DNA modification and for RNA-directed modulation of transcription.’

Over the past six months, UC’s U.S. CRISPR-Cas9 portfolio had sharply increased, and UC anticipated at least six additional related patents to be issued in the near future, bringing UC’s total to 17 patents spanning various compositions and methods, including targeting and editing genes in any setting, such as within plant, animal, and human cells. The portfolio also included patents related to the modulation of transcription.