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Library – Archives – Humanities  / Education / Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology / Exhibits, Projects and Initiatives / Plant Science, Biotechnology, & Agriculture

The Early Days of Biotech on Long Island

Patents have become a cornerstone of the biotech industry, and many researchers are eager to patent their discoveries. But what percentage of patents actually lead to marketable technologies? Diane Fabel of Stony Brook’s Center for Biotechnology has done an analysis that shows, as she explains that “only about 5% of the patents at the USPTO [US Patent and Trademark Office] are ever licensed. Ninety-five percent of them go nowhere.” It’s important to keep in mind that “it’s a very large portfolio of patents at the USPTO. Even a small percentage is a large number, but still it’s only 5%, and only 8.4% of NIH funded projects lead to a patent…I don’t think it would take much to increase those numbers with forethought and infrastructure. You just have to make that the goal.”

Diane Fabel / Stony Brook Center for Biotechnology

Plants need nitrogen to grow, but a significant portion of the nitrogen in fertilizers is not absorbed by the soil or used by the growing plants. Rather, it washes away into waterways, rivers, and the ocean. This in turn has had devastating effects on marine life. In some areas, excessive nitrogen in the oceans has caused algae blooms that kill wildlife, make it dangerous for people to consume fish or shellfish or in some cases even swim in affected waters. This problem isn’t limited to poorer countries. Nitrogen pollution is a serious problem here on Long Island. In our case, the nitrogen comes primarily from septic tanks and cesspools, although nitrogen from agricultural fertilizers also plays a role. Nitrogen pollution in the waters around Long Island has hampered fishing, made it dangerous to eat seafood from some areas, and caused environmental changes that make coastal areas more prone to flooding.