Learning and resources

This is a collection of sequence listing samples and sequence listing-related rules and regulations. Also provided here are resources for electronic filing at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and guidance for searching patent biosequences.

Patent Quality Chat on Sequence listings under ST.26 and new USPTO rules

USPTO held a virtual Patent Quality Chat on June 15, 2022
Event notice
Slides
Video

Sequence listings frequently asked questions

FAQs focus on 

• the applicability (A) of ST.26
• how to file (F) a sequence listing XML compliant with Standard ST.26
• general questions (g) about formatting for WIPO Standard ST.26
• questions about formatting for any sequence - nucleotide and amino acid sequences (NA/AA) sequences
• questions specific for issues in amino acid (AA) and nucleotide (NA) sequences
• how to create (C) an ST.26-compliant sequence listing XML
• how to validate (V) an ST.26 sequence listing XML using WIPO Sequence

Sample sequence listings

• ST.25 format 
• ST.26 format

Electronic filing

NOTE: ST.26 sequence listings in XML format MUST be filed electronically with the USPTO through Patent Center or on physical media.  EFS-Web will not permit submission of ST.26 XML files.

• Filing options at the USPTO 
• Patent Center

Rules and regulations

• 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825
• 37 CFR 1.831 - 1.835
• PCT Rule 5.2
• PCT Rule 13ter
• Annex C to the PCT Administrative Instructions
• MPEP 2420-2435
• MPEP 1823.02
• Update to the U.S. Regulations concerning submission of an ST.25 sequence listing, effective November 15, 2021
• Update to the U.S. Regulations concerning implementation of WIPO Standard ST.26 and using eXtensible Markup Language (XML), effective July 1, 2022

Standard ST.25

• Standard ST.25 and related Annexes

Standard ST.26

• Standard ST.26 and related Annexes I-VII 

You can also download the following from Standard ST.26 (see the Table of Contents in Standard ST.26): 

• Annex II (the Document Type Definition (DTD) for use with XML editors in creating sequence listings) 
• Annex III (a sample ST.26 sequence listing in XML format) 

• Annex VI, Appendix (guidance document sequences in XML)

Searching patent sequences

In addition to commercial resources, there are several free resources that can be used to search patent sequence data contained in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Genbank database and the Lens.org patent sequence database. These databases are not developed or maintained by the USPTO, although U.S. patent data is included in these databases. Content, format, and searchability is outside of the USPTO's control.

Please be aware that the USPTO cannot guarantee the accuracy of any patent data on third party sites. Always confirm the accuracy of any patent sequence data identified on a third party database against the corresponding published U.S. patent application or issued U.S. patent.

A.  BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) Search of the NCBI Genbank patent sequence database

Users can search the NCBI Patent Sequence database by choosing “Patent sequences(pat)” from the “Choose Search Set” drop down menu:

B.  The Lens.org “PatSeq Finder” search of the PatSeq database 

The Lens.org hosts the PatSeq database as well as a suite of applications for searching and analyzing biological sequence data disclosed in patents. “PatSeq Finder” is a sequence similarity search tool based on BLAST, which allows users to search the Lens PatSeq database for matches to a sequence of interest.