Progenity Receives New Patent for Their Single-Molecule Detection Platform

Progenity has received a US patent for their Single-Molecule Detection Technology, which will lower testing and treatment costs while also simplifying operational implementation.

Fremont, CA: Single molecule detection methods discover individual molecular properties and their environment. Single-molecule imaging has caught researchers' attention in a variety of fields because it allows them to examine molecular features that are generally hidden in big molecular groups. Progenity, Inc., a biotechnology firm focused on gastrointestinal health and oral biotherapeutics, has received a new patent for their single-molecule detection platform, which is currently in development.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued US Patent No. 11,186,863 for Methods, Systems, and Compositions for Counting Nucleic Acid Molecules. Methods for capturing, amplifying, and imaging single copies of target nucleic acid molecules are covered by the issued claims.

According to Matthew Cooper, General Manager, Diagnostics, "This invention includes important methods for counting target molecules, obviating the requirement for sequencing."

Our Single-Molecule Detection Platform is meant to allow procedures like noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) or liquid biopsy for cancer to be performed without the use of expensive, sophisticated sequencing, lowering costs and simplifying operations. Beyond nucleic acids, the technology has the potential to be used with proteins. Progenity is actively seeking partners to further develop this valuable asset as it transitions away from commercial diagnostics.

Progenity has built a strong patent portfolio to support its single-molecule detection platform, which includes six patent families covering various aspects of the company's molecular counting platform, as well as a separate family, focused on detecting nucleosomal positioning patterns, which can be useful for determining cell-free DNA tissue-of-origin. These patents are part of Progenity's corporate portfolio, which includes 96 patent families with 180 issued patents and over 220 patent applications pending. The portfolio includes patents and applications for medication administration methods and devices, GI sampling and diagnostics methods and devices, illness treatment methods and compositions, and molecular and protein tools, assays, and diagnostics.