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kleinbl00 · 3697 days ago · link · · parent · post: US Government's patent on "Human Ebola Virus Species and Compositions and Methods Thereof"
Because gene sequencing is big business and there's already been kerfuffle related to public vs. private resources vis a vis Human Genome Project vs. Celera. You want the government to own the patent so that somebody can't start sequencing Ebola and then get an injunction against anyone else from using it. 'cuz they use it. My buddy Dr. Strangelove did his Ph.D thesis on the use of Marburg in gene therapy. Your main patent applicant, John S. Towner, is at the CDC. He appears to be a competent researcher on viruses. If I get to choose between "my tax dollars" or "Merck" owning the patent to Ebola, I'm going with "my tax dollars" every time.