May 30, 2003

Patent idea worth A+ in unusual course

Shefali Davé graduates this June with a baccalaureate in biochemistry and plans to continue her studies towards a degree in chemical engineering.

Imagine the first day of a three-credit class, when the professor flat out tells you that everyone is guaranteed an A+ for completing one task. No mid-term, no final, no assignments. Well, I am one of the lucky students who landed in just such a class – the newly revamped BCH 4172, Topics in Biotechnology.

Offered at the fourth-year level by the Department of Biochemistry, this class is among the most creative educational experiences I have ever had. We were treated to guest speakers and class discussions almost every time we met. There are no formal lectures, and no need for excessive note-taking. Instead, the course provides an opportunity to dream up an invention and carry it through the innovation cycle by writing it up as a professional patent. The only condition: the patent has to be submitted to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) before the end of the semester. And the consequence: a perfect score on our transcripts.

Sounds like a breeze, doesn't it? Well, not quite. By far, the most difficult part of the patenting process is coming up with an idea that is non-obvious, useful and novel. First of all, we decided to divide ourselves into three groups, each of which would work on separate patents. However, we quickly discovered that choosing an original idea was quite frustrating. My group chose countless possible inventions, only to find they had already been filed by someone else. And when we finally selected an invention that satisfied the Patent Act – a device to purify biomolecules using electricity -- writing the patent in proper technical terms was more complex than we anticipated. Basically, our idea was to attract a charged molecule, such as DNA, through a gel, toward an electrode using electricity. This process, essentially known as electrophoresis, helps in the identification and purification of different DNA molecules in a sample. My group made a small improvement on the technique, which will hopefully lead to better purification.

Another group called themselves Biotechnology Co-operative Enterprise and patented a cooling system for a sterilization unit, while the third group submitted an idea for a toothbrush cleaner.

After finally submitting my group's patent to the CIPO, I can say I am impressed with the scope of this biotechnology course. Insightful and invaluable guest speakers ranged from patent examiners and lawyers to local entrepreneurs, all who were willing to go out of their way to help us create and file our patent. The local law firm, Gowling Lafleur Henderson, hosted a Biotech Strategies and Solutions symposium, while two representatives of our class were invited to legal firm Borden Ladner Gervais' Patent Protection Workshop, held in Ottawa in March with the Biotechnology Human Resource Council (BHRC).

Undoubtedly, this class not only prepares students for the future, but also offers the opportunity to mingle with the best minds in science, invention, law and business, all in the course of one semester!

My own experience in the course will stay with me for a long time. I not only have filed a patent as an undergraduate, but also can look forward to reaping some financial rewards should the patent be granted. On a more cerebral level, the class allowed me to develop my creative and critical thinking skills, to learn without the need to regurgitate facts on an exam, and to fully appreciate the value of working in a group.

If you want to leave the predetermined path to take a risk and make your own waves, this is the class for you! All you need to succeed is an idea: a patentable idea.

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