How does the USPTO use the computer readable form (CRF) of the “Sequence Listing”?
The USPTO uses the computer readable form (CRF) of the “Sequence Listing” for several important purposes, as outlined in the MPEP:
The information on the computer readable form will be entered into the Office’s database for searching and printing nucleotide and amino acid sequences. This electronic database will also enable the Office to provide published sequence data, in electronic form, to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) for publication in GenBank, and enable NCBI to exchange data with the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) and the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI).
In summary, the CRF is used to:
- Enter sequence data into the USPTO’s searchable database
- Print nucleotide and amino acid sequences
- Provide published sequence data to NCBI for GenBank publication
- Facilitate data exchange between international biological sequence databases
This process enhances the accessibility and utility of the sequence information for both patent examination and broader scientific research purposes.
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