How does indirect self-replication occur in biological materials?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

Indirect self-replication in biological materials occurs when the material requires the presence of another self-replicating biological material to reproduce. The MPEP 2403.01 provides an example of this process:

“Self-replication after insertion in a host is one example of indirect self-replication.”

This means that some biological materials can only replicate when they are inserted into or associated with a host organism or another self-replicating system. Examples of indirectly replicating biological materials include:

• Viruses
• Phages
• Plasmids
• Symbionts
• Replication defective cells

These materials typically rely on the host’s cellular machinery or other biological systems to facilitate their replication process.