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

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