HyBeacon probes were developed at LGC in response to forensic and medical requirements to identify key genetic differences between individuals, or to distinguish micro-organisms
On July 25 2006, LGC's first patent application associated with its innovative HyBeacons technology was granted within the European patent territories.
LGC's David McDowell and David French, along with Professor Tom Brown of Southampton University, are the named inventors of the technology behind the patent entitled: 'Hybridisation beacon and method of rapid sequence detection and discrimination'.
HyBeacons are short DNA sequences that contain a fluorescent molecule attached within the heart of the sequence.
HyBeacons can be designed to act as probes to detect sections of DNA sequence with a genetic variation.
The central location of the fluorescent molecule within the probe has considerable advantages over previously invented probes that have such signalling chemistry placed at the end of the DNA probe.
HyBeacon probes were developed at LGC in response to forensic and medical requirements to identify key genetic differences between individuals, or to distinguish micro-organisms and have unique characteristics that make them suitable for very rapid diagnostic and point-of-care applications.
To date, HyBeacon assays have been designed for use in medical genetic as well as infectious diagnostic testing.
Potential applications range from the ability to determine whether an individual will derive therapeutic value from certain prescribed drugs through to rapid confirmation of a suspected infection.
As a recent example LGC, in association with the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, has used its HyBeacons technology to enable the development of a pharmacogenetic screening service which can predict whether a patient with schizophrenia will respond positively to the antipsychotic drug clozapine.
Commenting on the news of the patent, David McDowell, life sciences business development manager at LGC, said: "We are absolutely delighted at the news of the new patent, which is LGC's first EU patent grant since privatisation.
"Furthermore, our patent application has now progressed to grant in both New Zealand and South Africa and is now under assessment by US, Canadian and Australian patent examiners.
"This is important recognition for HyBeacons and I am pleased to say that a number of in-house service applications and external licence deals are now in progress.
"A second patent is pending".
In 2004, LGC granted its first HyBeacons licence to Osmetech, for use in medical genetic test applications for analyte specific reagents that indicate inherited genetic traits.
Most recently LGC announced its participation in a research project, funded under the EPSRC Think Crime programme, looking at ways in which LGC's HyBeacons technology can be further developed for the specific requirements of forensic analysis.
