Sterne Kessler’s industrial and agricultural biotechnology team has developed landmark patents and won seminal disputes in industrial biotechnology (white biotechnology) and agricultural biotechnology (green biotechnology). Innovation in these sectors ensures that plants and microorganisms will play a central role in our ability to meet the challenges of feeding and supporting the world’s rapidly growing population, and reducing our environmental footprint.
Our team knows the technology behind many of the industrial and agricultural biotechnology innovations today. This includes plant and microorganism genetics; molecular biology; cellular biology and genetic engineering; plant growth and development; chemistry; biochemistry; and bioreactor, fermentation, and bioprocessing technology. Most team members have advanced degrees in these disciplines and related industry experience, making us uniquely qualified to help clients protect and enforce their intellectual property in this sector.
Our clients are focused on overcoming some of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century—developing sustainable and renewable energy sources; reducing greenhouse emissions and other forms of pollution; increasing crop tolerance to adverse environmental stresses; and increasing agricultural yields, productivity, and nutritive value. We represent some of the leading innovators in industrial and agricultural biotechnology, including Lallemand, Moolec Science, Sweegen, Kula Bio, and Blue California amongst others.
Decades of Experience Producing Results
We have more than 40 years of experience helping companies strategize, build, and enforce worldwide biotechnology-driven intellectual property portfolios. Our comprehensive IP services include:
- Plant and utility patent preparation and prosecution in the United States and internationally
- Patent portfolio management and counseling
- Licensing and technology transfer agreements
- IP due diligence
- Opinions, including freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, invalidity, patentability, and enforceability of patents and trademarks
- Post-grant proceedings, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and reexaminations
- District court litigation
We counsel a range of companies with products, services and processes directed to, among others:
- Plant and microorganism genetic and metabolic engineering
- Herbicides, pesticides and biofertilizers
- Advanced biofuels
- Industrial enzymes
- CRISPR
- Cellular agriculture
- Climate-controlled agriculture
- Bio-based chemicals, materials, intermediates, and products
- Bioreactor and fermentation technologies
- Bioprocessing
- Nutraceuticals and sweeteners
- Food processing and packaging
- Alternative proteins
- Sustainable ingredients, flavors and fragrances
- Molecular farming
- Carbon capture
- Plant varieties and seed traits
- Hemp and cannabis
- Bioremediation
With our deep experience and technical know-how, we are able to help our clients drive innovation and ensure that they remain at the forefront of the global effort to create a more sustainable future.
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