A Comprehensive Overview of the Latest Published Invention Patents in the Field of Agricultural Biotechnology

Many technological and product innovations, for various reasons, cannot or temporarily cannot be published as research papers—due to differences in the criteria for high‑impact-factor journals versus high‑value patents, the need to preserve novelty, the necessity of safeguarding technical details, and other factors. Consequently, publicly available patent information serves as a crucial channel for tracking the latest technologies and products.

However, with China’s annual patent applications approaching 5 million, extracting valuable insights from this vast sea of patent data remains a formidable challenge.

This article reviews the most recently published invention patents in the field of agricultural biotechnology and provides brief summaries of selected patents, offering valuable reference information for industry professionals.

The patent application No. 2020107707930 filed by Jilin Agricultural University (inventors: Guan Shuyan, Fan Shuyu, Ma Yiyong, Qu Jing, Yao Dan, Liu Siyan, Wang Piwu, Fan Sujie, Liu Huijing, Liu Shuying, Jiang Yuan, and Jiao Peng) relates to an insect‑resistant mutant gene, Cry2Ab‑2. The present invention employs error‑prone PCR to introduce random mutations into the nucleotide sequence of the Cry2Ab gene, thereby generating the Cry2Ab‑2 insecticidal gene. Specifically, threonine at position 20 and glycine at position 582 in the Cry2Ab‑2 amino acid sequence are substituted with alanine and aspartic acid, respectively. In vitro‑expressed protein was subjected to insect‑resistance assays against the oriental armyworm; the results demonstrated that this expressed protein exhibits strong insecticidal activity, achieving a mortality rate of 88.98% in the target pest, while also severely inhibiting the growth of surviving individuals—a difference that is statistically significant compared with the control. These findings suggest that Cry2Ab‑2 could serve as a promising candidate gene for developing transgenic insect‑resistant crop varieties and for constructing engineered microbial strains.

The patent application No. 2020105455827 filed by Jiusenhe Seed Industry Co., Ltd. (inventors: She Yatao, Gao Xuefei, Gao Xiang, She Qiang, Chen Weilin, Guo Jianqiang, Zhang Yu, Zhao Haiju, Ma Yulong, and Sun Zhijun) relates to an insect‑resistant protein mVIP3An18, its encoding gene, and its applications. Based on bioinformatics analyses, the present invention introduces artificial modifications to the VIP3 insect‑resistant protein, including the removal of three native amino acids from the N‑terminal region and the addition of 46 novel amino acids. These changes significantly enhance the structural stability of the protein in maize cells, thereby preventing its degradation by endogenous maize proteases. Furthermore, using the built‑in algorithmic tools of Gene Designer, the invention eliminates AT‑rich domains, putative intron sequences, repeatedly occurring tandem repeats, and any internal restriction enzyme recognition sites that could potentially interfere with the gene’s use in constructing plant expression vectors for future commercial applications.

The patent application No. 2019800190577 filed by Pioneer International Seed Company (inventors: J. K. Barry, Dong Hua, R. M. Gerber, B. Peterson-Burch, E. Sheppers, T. C. Wolf, Xie Weiping, N. Yalpani, and Zhong Xiaohong) relates to an insecticidal protein, the IPD110 peptide. This protein can be used to control and suppress populations of lepidopteran, coleopteran, dipteran, fungal, hemipteran, and/or nematode pests, either by inhibiting their growth or by killing them, and it may also be employed in the formulation of compositions exhibiting insecticidal activity. The present invention identifies the insecticidal protein IPD110Ab from the fern Selaginella victoriae, and further isolates homologous IPD110Ab proteins from other species of Selaginella through sequence‑based homology analysis. The biological activities of these proteins were evaluated against the corn earworm (CEW), European corn borer (ECB), fall armyworm (FAW), soybean looper (SBL), black cutworm (BCW), and velvet bean caterpillar (VBC). Additionally, cross‑resistance to Cry1A‑selected diamondback moth was assessed. Furthermore, transgenic transformation into dwarf cowpea was conducted to evaluate activity against CEW, FAW, ECB, SBL, and VBC; and transgenic expression in maize was performed to assess the insecticidal efficacy of IPD110Ab, Ca, and Dc peptides against ECB, CEW, and FAW.

The patent application No. 2020107343900, filed by the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (inventors: Wan Qun, Yu Xiangyang, Li Yixin, Cheng Jinjin, and Wu Ruohan), relates to plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins that facilitate the uptake and transport of neonicotinoid insecticides, as well as the genes encoding these aquaporins and their applications. The present invention provides a plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporin from pak choi, designated BraPIP2;1, which exhibits a sensitive response to neonicotinoid insecticides—such as thiamethoxam and imidacloprid—in the external environment and mediates the transmembrane transport of these compounds, thereby promoting their accumulation in plant roots and leaves. This discovery holds significant practical value for guiding the efficient and simplified application of pesticides and for the development of novel systemic pesticides.

Source: National Institute of Agricultural Research