Sequenom Obtains Patent: "Bead Linkers for Immobilizing Nucleic Acids to Solid Supports"

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Sequenom Inc. (San Diego) a key patent entitled "Bead Linkers for Immobilizing Nucleic Acids to Solid Supports" (no. 5,900,481). This patent expands Sequenom's patent estate for its proprietary DNA MassArray technology.

The patented technology was invented by Hubert Koster, president and CEO of Sequenom, and David M. Lough, senior scientist of chemistry at the company. The patent covers the process of making compositions of at least one bead conjugated to a solid support and further conjugated to at least one nucleic acid. As compared to "flat" surfaces, beads linked to a solid support provide an increased surface area for immobilization of nucleic acids. By selecting a bead with the desired functionality, a practitioner can select a functionalization chemistry for immobilizing nucleic acids, which is different from the chemistry of the solid support.

Sequenom develops high definition genetic product development tools based on proprietary chemical reactions, parallel processing, and mass spectrometry for applications in medical diagnostics, forensics, agriculture biotechnology and environmental testing.

For more information: Hubert Koster, President and CEO, Sequenom Inc., 11555 Sorrento Valley Rd., San Diego, CA 92121-1331. Tel: 619-350-0345. Fax: 619-350-0344. Email: hkoster@sequenom.com.