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COP28 Series: Climate Change and Health, Communicable Diseases
COP28 Series: Climate Change and Health, Communicable Diseases Vector-borne disease: tackling the spread of disease-carrying insects through biology COP28 was the first of United Nations Climate Change Conference to feature a health programme, a welcome first given that the scientific community has been reporting the impact of climate change on our health for almost two decades. COP28’s ambitions to address the climate’s impact on our health were further... Read more
COP28 Series: Fresh Water Availability and Urban Water Resilience
COP28 Series: Fresh Water Availability and Urban Water Resilience “Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.” Samuel Coleridge’s 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, laments the Mariner’s vast surroundings of undrinkable seawater. Little did Coleridge likely predict that these punishing conditions would affect even the land-dwellers over two centuries later. An estimate from the United Nations states that 55 percent of the world’s population was... Read more
COP28 Series: Climate Change and Health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
COP28 Series: Climate Change and Health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, which is equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. Of these, the biggest killers are cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 includes an ambitious target of reducing premature deaths from NCDs by one third from... Read more
Gut Microbes: Do They Have A Role To Play In Social Anxiety?
Gut Microbes: Do They Have A Role To Play In Social Anxiety? Our body is home to trillions of microbes which form our microbiome. Over the past decade scientists have discovered that our gut microbiome, the bacteria and microorganisms that reside within our gastrointestinal system, play a hugely important and much larger role in our health than once thought. A high gut microbiota diversity has been linked to better general health. Similarly,... Read more
The Highest Form of Flattery? Taking Action Against Impersonation
The Highest Form of Flattery? Taking Action Against Impersonation A BBC News article has highlighted a recent increase in the use of well-known restaurant names in fraudulent company registrations at Companies House. The article reports that over 750 ‘fake’ companies, many with names containing a misspelling of a well-known restaurant business or proprietor (according to data compiled by an independent fraud consultant), have been added to the Register in... Read more
FRET-Based Biosensors in Diagnosing Biomedical Pathologies
FRET-Based Biosensors in Diagnosing Biomedical Pathologies Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), also referred to as Förster resonance energy transfer, is a physical phenomenon whereby energy from a donor fluorophore is transferred to an acceptor fluorophore. This form of resonance energy transfer is strongly dependent on close localisation of the donor and acceptor fluorophore, wherein a typical distance range for FRET to occur efficiently is 1-10nm. Given... Read more
Preparing for a Pandemic: What Awaits After COVID-19?
Preparing for a Pandemic: What Awaits After COVID-19? Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 to no longer constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Whilst this appears to officially mark the end of that pandemic, scientific communities generally agree that there will inevitably be another one. It is less clear, though, what the causal agent of the next pandemic will be. In this... Read more
EPO Report Reveals Extensive Innovation in the Additive Manufacturing Sector
EPO Report Reveals Extensive Innovation in the Additive Manufacturing Sector Over the last few years, the additive manufacturing industry has experienced strong growth, with revenue tripling from USD 6 billion in 2016 to USD 18 billion (EUR 16.17 billion) in 2022. A report recently released by the European Patent Office (EPO), entitled “Innovation Trends in Additive Manufacturing“, demonstrates that this growth has been accompanied by extensive innovation, and identifies several... Read more
Clean Beauty: Patenting Natural Products in the Cosmetics Industry
Clean Beauty: Patenting Natural Products in the Cosmetics Industry In a society that is becoming increasingly focused on wellness and sustainability, consumers are becoming ever more conscious of what’s actually in the beauty products and cosmetics that they are putting on their bodies and how those ingredients can impact their health and well-being. In recent years, this has led to the emergence of the “clean beauty” movement. It’s now... Read more
Cryo-electron Microscopy – The Technique Uncovering The Secrets of Structural Biology
Cryo-electron Microscopy – The Technique Uncovering The Secrets of Structural Biology It’s a commonly cited fact that we know more about the farthest reaches of space than we do about the deepest depths of the ocean. But perhaps even less is known about the inner workings of cells. Many of us will remember the diagrams of cell structures we learnt in our basic biology classes, crudely represented by a vaguely circular... Read more
Ion Channels as Anti-Epileptic Drug Targets
Ion Channels as Anti-Epileptic Drug Targets Ion channels are pore-forming protein complexes that allow for the transport of charged ‘ions’ across the cell membrane. The flow of ions through these channels results in the production of an electrical signal. Ion channel signalling is crucial for regulating numerous vital functions throughout the human body, including cardiac function (heart contraction and rhythm) and neuronal signalling in the brain... Read more
The Cardiovascular Component of COVID-19
The Cardiovascular Component of COVID-19 When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), became an emerging clinical emergency the initial approach was to treat this novel pathogen as a respiratory disease typical of other coronaviruses. It became quickly apparent that the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 were not limited to the respiratory system. As we move forward... Read more
Epigenetic “traffic lights” Could Expand Our Knowledge on How Cancers Work
Epigenetic “traffic lights” Could Expand Our Knowledge on How Cancers Work Since the discovery of the structure of DNA, the accepted central dogma of molecular biology states that the genetic information contained in our DNA is transcribed into short-lived messenger RNA, which is translated into the proteins that carry out the vast majority of our cellular functions. Remarkably, all of our cells contain essentially the same DNA, but clearly cell types... Read more
The Future of Building Materials – Are Fungi the Answer?
The Future of Building Materials – Are Fungi the Answer? As the Earth’s population continues to grow we are faced with a high demand for the construction of more houses and buildings to provide shelter around the world. According to the United Nations, building and construction accounts for approximately 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Given the high demand for housing, and the environmental effect that this industry has globally,... Read more
Organocatalysis: Reflecting on Two Decades of Innovation
Organocatalysis: Reflecting on Two Decades of Innovation Catalysis open the doors of chemistry and provides us with greater access to the natural resources in the world around us. Specialised molecules (catalysts) can offer certain chemical reactions lower energy, faster pathways towards their products, all while not being consumed in the process. In the humanised world of chemistry, catalysts are the motorways, allowing a faster journey to the... Read more
T Cell Warriors: Mobilising the Anti-Viral Response to Combat Ageing Cells
T Cell Warriors: Mobilising the Anti-Viral Response to Combat Ageing Cells As we are exposed to microbes throughout life, our immune system evolves and undergoes significant changes. Microbes can be harmful and cause infection, or live in harmony with us and form part of our “microbiome”. Our immune system faces the challenging battle to both defend against the “bad” microbes, and build tolerance to the “good” microbes. A newborn baby’s immune... Read more
The Growing Role of Biomass in a Low-Carbon Future
The Growing Role of Biomass in a Low-Carbon Future In the push towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, biomass has become a key feedstock for the production of renewable products, fuels, and energy. In particular, new efforts focus on the transformation of sugar and starch crops, cellulose, and municipal waste into chemical products typically derived from fossil fuels. What biomass and bio-derived products are, and what they are... Read more
What Ancient Persia Can Teach us About Energy Efficiency in Buildings
What Ancient Persia Can Teach us About Energy Efficiency in Buildings There is no doubt that the Earth is getting warmer. According to the 2022 Global Climate Report from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, 2022 was the sixth warmest year since global records began in 1880 at 0.86°C above the 20th century average of 13.9°C. The global temperatures of 2022 were not just a fluke, the last nine years (2014-2022)... Read more
Carbon Capture and Storage: Burying our Problems?
Carbon Capture and Storage: Burying our Problems? Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has been in the spotlight recently. Last month, the UK government announced a policy paper on “Delivering Energy Security and Net Zero”, which places a focus on making the UK a leader in CCS technology. In January, Germany and Norway published a joint declaration on climate and renewable energy that includes an agreement to... Read more
Applications in the Sunrise Period: to Opt Out or Not to Opt Out?
Applications in the Sunrise Period: to Opt Out or Not to Opt Out? The UPC sunrise period is well underway and several thousand opt outs have been filed. The focus during the sunrise period has been on opting out European patents. For long-granted patents, the opening of the UPC on 1 June 2023 presents competitors with the opportunity to file a central revocation action effective in up to seventeen countries covered by a... Read more
New Legislation Changes the Future of Farming
New Legislation Changes the Future of Farming On 23 March 2023, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act passed into law in England, allowing use of gene-edited crops and livestock in English agriculture for the first time. The Act presents a route to fields and shopping baskets for precision-bred crops and livestock, and allows the establishment of new frameworks for regulation and authorisation. It represents a marked divergence... Read more
Microglia – Could Harnessing the Brain’s Immune Cells Help Treat Alzheimer’s Disease?
Microglia – Could Harnessing the Brain’s Immune Cells Help Treat Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is estimated to be responsible for up to 70% of dementia cases, but after decades of research, the causes remain uncertain. The leading theory is that AD is driven by the accumulation of particular misfolded proteins in the brain: amyloid-beta (a-β) and phosphorylated tau (p-τ). However, there are reasons to believe that this may not be the... Read more
Resisting Antibiotics – Time for an Antibacterial Revolution?
Resisting Antibiotics – Time for an Antibacterial Revolution? It was in 1928 that the first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by Alexander Fleming. The discovery was a major breakthrough in modern medicine, and penicillin became mass-produced for clinical use by the 1940s. However, it rapidly became apparent that some bacteria were able to evade the effects of penicillin. It was eventually discovered that these bacteria could produce an enzyme... Read more
Food Products and Trade Mark Protection – Blurring the Line of Descriptiveness
Food Products and Trade Mark Protection – Blurring the Line of Descriptiveness Visitors to a supermarket will be confronted with thousands of famous and distinctive brand names competing for space in their (virtual or physical) shopping basket. However, they may not realise that yet more trade marks are hiding in plain sight – some words which seem, at first glance, to be descriptive of the products on which they appear can in... Read more
Unitary Patent Oddities: What You Might Not Know About the UP
Unitary Patent Oddities: What You Might Not Know About the UP We all know about the unitary patent (UP): a single patent right giving you protection in a group of EU member states that have signed up to the UPC agreement (currently 17 states). The UP gives you broad geographical protection for a lower cost than the corresponding national validations and is enforceable in a single action through the Unified Patent... Read more
World Soil Day: High Tech in Farming
World Soil Day: High Tech in Farming One of the oldest areas in which technology has made its impact on human civilisation is farming. The development of agricultural techniques in the Neolithic period allowed humans to transition from nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyles to living in permanent settlements. The agricultural revolution in Britain through the 17th to 19th centuries led to a huge increase in productivity that freed up... Read more
Pumpkin Patents for Halloween
Pumpkin Patents for Halloween “All Hallows’ Eve”, or “Halloween”, is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October. Traditional Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, and carving jack-o’-lanterns. It is believed that the jack-o’-lantern originates from Ireland, where turnips or other root vegetables were hollowed-out to act as lanterns with horrifying faces (see a truly terrifying example here). Irish immigrants brought this tradition... Read more
Same, Same but Different – Revocation at the EPO and UPC
Same, Same but Different – Revocation at the EPO and UPC The opposition procedure before the European Patent Office (EPO) has been a highly attractive forum for challenging patents since the first European patents were granted. The procedure is pretty much unrivalled across the globe in terms of bang for your buck. The procedure is simple, streamlined and inexpensive. There are rules to follow, but they are well tested. It works.... Read more
Being in Love or Being Lovers of the Bastille – Both can Coexist
Being in Love or Being Lovers of the Bastille – Both can Coexist In this Insight we explore the requirement of originality for a copyright work in a song title and the scope of protection thereof in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Happy Bastille Day. An artist who composed the song “Les amoureux de la Bastille”, filed for protection of the musical work together with its song title before the SNAC (national union for authors... Read more
Celebrating Global Wind Day: Growth and Development in the Wind Power Sector
Celebrating Global Wind Day: Growth and Development in the Wind Power Sector Global Wind Day is an event held each year on 15 June, aimed at informing people of the potential of wind energy and its importance to decarbonising the global economy. To celebrate Global Wind Day, we explore how wind power technology has developed through history, and how these developments have led to an industry in which patent protection is critical.... Read more
We Know mRNA Vaccines are Great for Covid, but What’s Next?
We Know mRNA Vaccines are Great for Covid, but What’s Next? There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust mRNA vaccines into the spotlight, as we have explored in a previous insight. However, the revolution in mRNA-based therapeutics extends far beyond coronavirus vaccines. Here is a sneak preview of what might be next for mRNA… Vaccines against other pathogens Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines targeting other pathogens... Read more
Star Wars Day: How the Technology of Star Wars may not be so Far, Far Away
Star Wars Day: How the Technology of Star Wars may not be so Far, Far Away May the fourth be with you! Today is 4 May, affectionately known as Star Wars Day for its similarity to the wish for good fortune used in the Star Wars franchise, appealing to the mysterious “Force” which gives the Jedi their superhuman powers. The original Star Wars film was released in May 1977 and catapulted audiences into a world of... Read more
Alphafold – A Game Changer in Machine Learning Research
Alphafold – A Game Changer in Machine Learning Research Introduction Proteins are a class of macromolecules which carry out a wide range of functions. For example, proteins are essential for photosynthesis, producing energy from food, contracting muscle fibres and DNA replication, and form the building blocks of bone, skin and the immune system. Proteins are formed of chains of amino acids. There are twenty different amino acids which are... Read more
Celebrating Earth Day: How Investing in IP can be an Investment in the Planet
Celebrating Earth Day: How Investing in IP can be an Investment in the Planet Earth Day is an annual global event created in 1970 to raise awareness of growing environmental concerns. This year’s Earth Day, which falls on April 22, has the theme “Invest in our Planet”. For many of the supporters of Earth Day this investment will be of time. Across the world, from Cambridge to California, from Nanjing to Nairobi, people will... Read more
Brits Abroad – Where do UK-based Applicants File for Patents?
Brits Abroad – Where do UK-based Applicants File for Patents? Following on from our article “Decline of the Garden Shed Inventor“, (see here), a second research report from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) provides further analysis of the filing behaviours of UK-based patent applicants over the last 20 years. Whilst many of the report’s findings will be no surprise to those familiar with standard patent filing strategies, the report... Read more
Spotlight on Sustainability at Tokyo 2020
Spotlight on Sustainability at Tokyo 2020 Aside from the achievements in the sporting events, Tokyo 2020 is noteworthy for the spotlight it put on sustainability. Symbolic items – podiums, torches, medals – were made using recycled materials. The Olympic flame was relayed in a torch of recycled aluminium from prefabricated housing units in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Athletes stepped onto podiums... Read more
Medicinal Cannabis – an Old Crop Turns Over a New Leaf
Medicinal Cannabis – an Old Crop Turns Over a New Leaf “Medicinal cannabis” is often used as a broad catch-all term used for any kind of cannabis-based medicine used to provide a therapeutic effect, rather than for purely recreational use. Human beings have been using cannabis for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Indeed, cannabis appears in the oldest Chinese pharmacopoeia from around 100 AD and is one of the fifty... Read more
Open Source and Patents: Share Your Cake and Eat It Too
Open Source and Patents: Share Your Cake and Eat It Too The open-source movement has been around for decades and has provided freedom to users and programmers to use and develop existing software. Unlike industries involving physical products, the low barrier of entry to software development and distribution has meant that many users find themselves having the knowledge and resources to contribute to software development, but at times prevented from doing... Read more