In a historic ruling that drastically affects the future of science and medicine, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that human genes cannot be patented, but that synthetically created DNA strands are “patent eligible”. The ruling is a victory for science researchers who have been restricted from creating tests or treatment options involving human genes that were already patented. The case... 

An Australian court has ruled in favor of allowing a company to patent a human gene. Concerns have been voiced that allowing a company to monopolize genes will turn the human body into a commodity, and will adversely affect healthcare. The judge argued the act of removing a specific gene from the body and isolating it made it into a product “of new manufacture” and therefore open to be patented,...