ERS Genomics and Cellecta, Inc. Sign License Agreement on CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Patents for Tools and Services

ERS Genomics Ltd. and Cellecta, Inc. announced today a non-exclusive license agreement to provide Cellecta with worldwide access to ERS Genomics' CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing intellectual property for use in informing research tools and services. ERS Genomics holds rights to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio from Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, who along with Dr. Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley, adapted the CRISPR system into a breakthrough gene editing technology.   

Cellecta is the first commercial provider of a lentiviral-based CRISPR library targeting all 19,000+ human protein-coding genes, and an industry leader in RNAi and CRISPR technologies for the discovery and characterization of novel therapeutic targets. Its off-the-shelf and custom genetic libraries, constructs, and kits are widely used in commercial and academic laboratories researching disease progression and therapeutic interventions.

"As a leader in advancing high-throughput genetic screening and discovery applications for novel therapeutic targets and drugs, Cellecta is adding to the growing list of companies who are making the CRISPR/Cas9 technology broadly accessible to the scientific community," said Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Cellecta on these aligned interests."

"CRISPR/Cas9 technology is proving to be an increasingly valuable tool for target discovery and validation applications," said Dr. Paul Diehl, COO of Cellecta. "Cellecta is pleased to offer a growing portfolio of products and services to aid researchers in obtaining a deeper understanding of gene function using this important technology."