Abstract
It is often argued that DNA nanotechnology has a multitude of possible applications. However, despite great advances in the understanding of the fundamental principles of the field, to date, there has been comparatively little commercial activity. Analysis of patent applications and company case studies suggests that this is now starting to change. The number of patent application filings is increasing, and new companies are being formed to exploit technologies based on nanoscale structures and devices made from DNA. There are parallels between the commercial developments in this field and those observed in other areas of innovation. Further commercialization is expected and new players will emerge.
Highlights
The proposed applications of DNA nanotechnology [1] are wide-ranging, from medical technologies such as targeted drug delivery [2,3] to nanolithography [4,5], to the construction of molecular breadboards for enzymes [6] or polymers [7]
For the purposes of this work, DNA nanotechnology is defined as the branch of science and engineering that relates to nanoscale structures and devices that are made from DNA, and contain some artificial or designed elements
These issues are beyond the scope of the present work, in which patent applications are used as an indicator of intention to commercialize innovations in DNA nanotechnology
Summary
The proposed applications of DNA nanotechnology [1] are wide-ranging, from medical technologies such as targeted drug delivery [2,3] to nanolithography [4,5], to the construction of molecular breadboards for enzymes [6] or polymers [7]. There are a number of limitations and disadvantages to the patent system, such as the timescales, the costs, and the challenges of enforcing intellectual property rights These issues are beyond the scope of the present work, in which patent applications are used as an indicator of intention to commercialize innovations in DNA nanotechnology. Niche software tools are a classic example of this, and they are often released freely to the community via dedicated websites, servers or repositories, in accordance with the drive towards more open science [17] There are several such software tools that are widely used in the field of DNA nanotechnology, and they are available freely, it is instructive to consider the qualities they have that have enabled them to become standard in the field, displacing their competitors, and achieving near-total ‘market dominance’, as commercial products will seek to achieve the same
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