turned a previous precedent allowing the patentability of living matter. The subject for this particular case was a bacterium that was specifically modified to help cleanup and degrade oil spills. Since legal changes have occurred starting in 1980, there has been a general trend of patenting inventions on living matter. More knowledge and data has become available in recent years that have never before been available. However, for us to get to the point where it is making a significant difference in peoples lives, a tidy sum of money needs to be invested. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in recent years have found out how lucrative biological research can be. These firms foster many research opportunities
