# How Scientists Created Bacteria That Eat Oil Spills > A 1981 patent for genetically engineered bacteria capable of breaking down multiple types of oil, which became the first living organism ever patented. - **Patent:** US 4259444 - **Original title:** Microorganisms having multiple compatible degradative energy-generating plasmids and preparation thereof - **Owner:** General Electric Co - **Granted:** 1981 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 28 - **Field:** biotech, energy ## What it does The patent describes a method for creating bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas that contain multiple stable 'plasmids.' These plasmids act like genetic toolkits, each providing the bacteria with a specific pathway to break down different types of hydrocarbons found in crude oil. By combining these plasmids into a single cell, the bacteria can digest a wider variety of oil components than they could in nature. For example, a single bacterium can be engineered to simultaneously possess the genetic instructions to degrade camphor, octane, salicylate, and naphthalene. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover naturally occurring bacteria that have not been genetically modified to contain multiple stable plasmids. - Does not cover the degradation of non-hydrocarbon pollutants like heavy metals or plastics. - Does not cover methods of oil cleanup that do not involve the use of these specific multi-plasmid Pseudomonas strains. - Does not cover genetic engineering techniques applied to organisms outside the genus Pseudomonas. ## The clever bit The innovation was finding a way to make multiple, normally incompatible plasmids coexist stably within a single bacterial cell, essentially creating a 'super-eater' that doesn't discard its new genetic instructions. ## Real-world examples 1. Bioremediation agents for cleaning up oil spills in marine environments 2. Experimental oil-degrading bacterial cultures used in environmental cleanup research ## Why it matters This patent is the foundation of modern biotechnology law. It led to the landmark Supreme Court case Diamond v. Chakrabarty, which ruled that a live, human-made micro-organism is patentable subject matter. This decision effectively opened the floodgates for the multi-billion dollar biotech industry by confirming that companies could own the rights to genetically modified life forms. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Scientists Created Bacteria That Eat Oil Spills cover? A 1981 patent for genetically engineered bacteria capable of breaking down multiple types of oil, which became the first living organism ever patented. ### Who owns patent US 4259444? General Electric Co owns this patent, granted in 1981. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 4259444 cited by? This patent has been cited by 28 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent is the foundation of modern biotechnology law. It led to the landmark Supreme Court case Diamond v. Chakrabarty, which ruled that a live, human-made micro-organism is patentable subject matter. This decision effectively opened the floodgates for the multi-billion dollar biotech industry by confirming that companies could own the rights to genetically modified life forms. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover naturally occurring bacteria that have not been genetically modified to contain multiple stable plasmids. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4259444/chakrabarty-genetically-modified-bacteria **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US4259444 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Scientists First Made DNA Replicate in New Cells](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4237224/cohen-boyer-recombinant-dna) — This 1980 patent describes a method for cutting and pasting DNA pieces in a lab to create new, self-replicating genetic material that can be inserted into bacteria, a foundational technique for genetic engineering. - [How Scientists Taught Bacteria to Make Human Hormones](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4356270/recombinant-dna-cloning-genentech) — Genentech's 1979 patent on using engineered DNA to force bacteria to produce human proteins like insulin and growth hormones. - [Mice Engineered to Develop Cancer for Research](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4736866/harvard-oncomouse) — Harvard's 1988 patent on genetically engineered mice that carry cancer-causing genes, designed to help scientists study how cancer develops and test treatments. - [The Discovery of Lovastatin for Lowering Cholesterol](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4231938/statin-cholesterol-lovastatin) — A 1979 patent by Merck describing the isolation of a fermentation product from Aspergillus fungi that effectively lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. - [How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8697359/crispr-gene-editing) — This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.