U.S. patent law requires the deposit of biological material with certain patent applications (35 USC 101). “Biological material” includes material directly or indirectly capable of self-replication. Representative examples include bacteria, fungi (including yeast), algae, protozoa, eukaryotic cells, cell lines, hybridomas, plasmids, viruses, plant tissue cells, lichens and seeds. As to viruses, vectors, cell organelles and other non-living material existing in and reproducible from a living cell, an applicant satisfies this requirement by depositing a host cell capable of reproducing the non-living material.
