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
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.