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From 2013.igem.org

We have noticed that iGEM teams throughout the years have developed and are developing novel projects. However, in most of the cases they only stay in the stage of investigation and results but never go further. We believe that many of these projects could have an important impact in the community and in society if they go to the business world by commercialization of the technology.

We saw this problematic and start investigating ways to commercialize a project, we found out a new methodology called Quicklook. We believe that with this tool other iGEM teams will be able to evaluate and create and idea of how valuable and profitable their research is in order to commercialize their idea and contribute to what biobusiness is. The description of what Quicklook Methodology is and the essential parts of how to make one are described below.

What is a Quicklook?

It is a methodology developed by the IC2 institute of the University of Texas to evaluate the potential commercial interest of an idea, area of research or technology. This methodology helps the research team to evaluate two important risks:

1. Technological Risks: Will the technology work?
2. Market Risks: Who will purchase the technology?

The QuickLoook Methodology consists of seven steps:

1. Identify and analyze Potential Markets
2. Identify competition, end users, distributors and potential licensees
3. Search patents for similar technologies.
4. Identify the resources a company would need to enter the market with the technology analyzed.
5. Identify potential risks and plan how to overcome them.
6. Contact experts and ask for their opinion.
7. Write the final report.

A Quicklook analyses aspects like technology, benefits and opportunity, market interests, potential markets, technology phases, patent stage, threats of new entrants and of existing competition and opportunities to get into the market

How to make a Quicklook

There are several steps that have to be done in order to have a Quicklook report.

• Technology description: in simple terms the technology develop is described by the creator. Some questions should be answer in this section.
• What does the technology/ research/ system do?
• What problem does it solves?
• How does it work.
• Intellectual property.
• What kind of protection does your IP have?
• What other IP that are alike to your technology have you explored?
• Examinate competitors and competing technologies.
• Who is your competition
• What is the difference between your competition and your technology?
• How has the market accepted the competition technology?
• What are the strengths and the debilities of the competition´s technology?
• Identify and explore market commercial potential
• Who will use your technology?
• Who needs it?
• In what industry will it be used?
• Define your market; size, structure.
• Primary marketing research
>
• Interviews with experts in the area like academics.
• Interview with your potential market


• Secondary marketing research
• Collect existent information about your technology.
• Process the information in understandable specific data.
• Get information about the competition.
• Obtain historical and quantitative data of the target market.
• Quicklook report
• Write all the information above in a report including all the aspects in the picture above.



Here is the link for to download our team iGem TecMonterrey short Quicklook Metodology about our project research.

Patents

What is a patent?

A patent is a set of exclusive rights given to an inventor by a government for a limited time period in exchange for reveling to the general public the invention. This legal document grants the exclusivity of making, using or selling an invention or products made by an invented process.

What is patentable?

For an invention to be patentable it should be something new, it must involve an inventive step or it shouldn’t be obvious for someone with knowledge in the subject, and capable of industrial application. An invention is considered to be new if it is not known or used in a public way in any part of the world.

How to know if an invention is patentable?

Search the different patent office databases for similar inventions to the one developed. Recommended databases are the US Patent Office, European Patent office, and the office of the country where the invention is being or was developed. Within each patent office search for granted patents and patent applications.

Within each patent application there’s a section called Claims. The claims of a patent define in technical terms the extent of what is protected by the patent. This section should by analyzed and compared to the invention that is intended to be patented.

Previous Release of an Invention

Article 18 of the Mexican Law of Industrial Property:

The public release of an invention will not affect its novelty if it was made during the previous twelve months of the patent filling date. When presenting the patent application the applicant should specify the public release of the invention in the patent application form.




Patent Application

A patent application consists of a description of the invention called the patent specifications and other forms. The patent document consists of several sections.

• Description or Patent Specification.
• It generally contains the background and overview of the invention as well as a detailed description of it.
• The Article 47 of the Mexican Law of Industrial Property states that a patent specification should be perfectly clear so any one with middle knowledge in the subject could replicate the invention.
• Patent Claims.
• This section, as mentioned previously, defines the scope of protection of a patent.
• Filling Dates.
• • This is the date at which the patent form was filed in the patent office
• Patent Summary.
• It’s a brief description of the technical development of the invention. It should be no longer than 200 words.
• Drawings.
• This section’s purpose is supporting the patent description.

References

Cámara de Diputados del H, Congreso de la Unión. (1991). Ley de la Propiedad Industrial. Diario Oficial de la Federación.

Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Intelectual. (2012). Guía del Usuario Patentes y Modelos de Utilidad. México: Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Intelectual.

Region. (n.d.). Technology Assessment Training - Global Commercialization Group. IC² Institute, the University of Texas at Austin | Innovation, Creativity, Capital. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.ic2.utexas.edu/global/services/education/assessment/

Region. (n.d.). Technology Assessments - Global Commercialization Group. IC² Institute, the University of Texas at Austin | Innovation, Creativity, Capital. Retrieved September 27, 2013, from http://www.ic2.utexas.edu/global/services/assessments/

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