How to Design High-Quality Gene Editing Tools for a Whole Genome
This patent describes a computer system and method for creating a comprehensive library of gene-editing guides (sgRNAs) by carefully designing and filtering them to be accurate and avoid unintended genetic changes.
Original patent title: “Whole genome sgrna library constructing system and application thereof”
This patent describes a computer system and method for creating a comprehensive library of gene-editing guides (sgRNAs) by carefully designing and filtering them to be accurate and avoid unintended genetic changes. Owned by Genewiz Suzhou with 11 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2038.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent details a system for building a "genome-wide sgRNA library," which are small RNA molecules used to guide gene-editing tools like CRISPR. The system has three main parts. First, an "input module" downloads genetic information, like DNA sequences and gene descriptions, from a database and picks specific gene regions (such as commonly deleted segments or CDS for protein-coding genes, per claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 2) to target. Second, an "sgRNA design module" creates many potential sgRNAs, checking them against the entire genome (claim 1). It looks for how well they match and assigns a risk score based on how likely they are to hit unintended spots (off-target sites), using rules like allowing 3 to 6 mismatches (claim 4). Finally, an "sgRNA filtering module" cleans up this list, removing problematic sgRNAs (like those with four or more consecutive identical bases, per claim 1) and ensuring the remaining ones are spread out evenly across the target genes (claim 1). For example, if a scientist wanted to study every gene in a human cell, this system could generate a precise set of sgRNAs, each designed to target a specific gene without accidentally editing other genes.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that design sgRNAs without evaluating off-target rates or grading them by risk (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1, 4).
- Does not cover systems that do not filter sgRNAs based on consecutive base repeats, overlap, or even distribution on a CDS (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover methods of constructing sgRNA libraries that do not use a 20 nucleotide guide sequence combined with a specific PAM sequence (NGG or GGN) (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover systems that only target non-coding regions and do not extract CDS sequences for protein-encoding genes (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1, 2).
- Does not cover the actual chemical synthesis or biological delivery of the sgRNA molecules themselves into a cell.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The patent's noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in its systematic, multi-stage approach to designing and filtering sgRNAs, combining specific criteria for off-target evaluation (like penalty points for mismatch positions) and rigorous filtering (like ensuring even distribution and no overlaps) to produce a high-quality, genome-wide library. This integrated system aims to drastically reduce the number of ineffective or harmful sgRNAs.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
CRISPR screening platforms
Academic gene function studies
Drug discovery pipelines using genetic screens
Biotechnology companies developing gene therapies
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is crucial for advancing gene editing research, particularly with CRISPR-Cas9 systems. By creating highly accurate and specific sgRNA libraries, scientists can perform large-scale genetic screens to understand gene function, identify drug targets, and develop gene therapies more efficiently. High-quality sgRNA design minimizes unintended edits, which is vital for both research validity and therapeutic safety.
Filed
December 14, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Synthego, Twist Bioscience, and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) are major players in synthesizing and providing sgRNA libraries for research and therapeutic development. Academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies also develop and use similar computational tools for their in-house gene-editing projects, aiming to improve the precision and efficiency of their gene-editing experiments.
Market impact
This type of technology has significantly lowered the barrier for large-scale genetic screens, accelerating discovery in functional genomics and drug development. By providing more reliable and efficient sgRNA design, it supports the expansion of CRISPR-based research and therapeutic applications, making gene editing a more precise and accessible tool for the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent details a system for building a "genome-wide sgRNA library," which are small RNA molecules used to guide gene-editing tools like CRISPR. The system has three main parts. First, an "input module" downloads genetic information, like DNA sequences and gene descriptions, from a database and picks specific gene regions (such as commonly deleted segments or CDS for protein-coding genes, per claim 2) to target. Second, an "sgRNA design module" creates many potential sgRNAs, checking them against the entire genome (claim 1). It looks for how well they match and assigns a risk score based on how likely they are to hit unintended spots (off-target sites), using rules like allowing 3 to 6 mismatches (claim 4). Finally, an "sgRNA filtering module" cleans up this list, removing problematic sgRNAs (like those with four or more consecutive identical bases, per claim 1) and ensuring the remaining ones are spread out evenly across the target genes (claim 1). For example, if a scientist wanted to study every gene in a human cell, this system could generate a precise set of sgRNAs, each designed to target a specific gene without accidentally editing other genes.
The clever bit
The patent's novelty lies in its systematic, multi-stage approach to designing and filtering sgRNAs, combining specific criteria for off-target evaluation (like penalty points for mismatch positions) and rigorous filtering (like ensuring even distribution and no overlaps) to produce a high-quality, genome-wide library. This integrated system aims to drastically reduce the number of ineffective or harmful sgRNAs.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that design sgRNAs without evaluating off-target rates or grading them by risk (claim 1, 4).
- Does not cover systems that do not filter sgRNAs based on consecutive base repeats, overlap, or even distribution on a CDS (claim 1).
- Does not cover methods of constructing sgRNA libraries that do not use a 20 nucleotide guide sequence combined with a specific PAM sequence (NGG or GGN) (claim 1).
- Does not cover systems that only target non-coding regions and do not extract CDS sequences for protein-encoding genes (claim 1, 2).
- Does not cover the actual chemical synthesis or biological delivery of the sgRNA molecules themselves into a cell.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$60K – $192K
Midpoint $120K · 12.3 yr remaining · industry ×2.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
11 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Zhao, W., Jin, L., Xu, F., Ge, Y., Duan, G., & Xu, P. How to Design High-Quality Gene Editing Tools for a Whole Genome (U.S. Patent No. 20,230,187,025). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20230187025/whole-genome-sgrna-library-constructing-system-and-application-thereof
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Design High-Quality Gene Editing Tools for a Whole Genome cover?
This patent describes a computer system and method for creating a comprehensive library of gene-editing guides (sgRNAs) by carefully designing and filtering them to be accurate and avoid unintended genetic changes.
Who owns patent US 20230187025?
This patent is owned by Genewiz Suzhou.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 14, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 20230187025 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is crucial for advancing gene editing research, particularly with CRISPR-Cas9 systems. By creating highly accurate and specific sgRNA libraries, scientists can perform large-scale genetic screens to understand gene function, identify drug targets, and develop gene therapies more efficiently. High-quality sgRNA design minimizes unintended edits, which is vital for both research validity and therapeutic safety.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that design sgRNAs without evaluating off-target rates or grading them by risk (claim 1, 4).
Patent monitoring