Stanford and 10x Genomics sue Waters at UPC over gene analysis patent

Stanford University and 10x Genomics have filed a patent infringement action against Waters at the Unified Patent Court, targeting technology for analyzing gene activity.

Stanford University and biotechnology company 10x Genomics have launched a patent infringement action against Waters and Augusta Life Sciences at the Unified Patent Court (UPC), in a dispute over technology used to analyze gene activity.

The case concerns European patent EP 3 828 285, titled “Transposition Into Native Chromatin for Personal Epigenomics,” which is owned by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

Filed on October 19, 2026, the action is proceeding before the UPC’s Hamburg Local Division. The case is registered as UPC_CFI_0003720/2026 and remains in the written phase, with no decision on the merits reported.

The claim brings together a major research university and a biotechnology company in a life sciences patent enforcement dispute, while adding to the UPC’s growing docket of technology-related infringement actions.

Patent dispute enters the UPC

The action was reported by Law360 UK on November 2. The available case record identifies the proceeding as an infringement action and lists 10x Genomics and Stanford’s Board of Trustees as plaintiffs, with Waters and Augusta Life Sciences named as defendants.

The patent relates to transposition into native chromatin for personal epigenomics. Further details about the specific products or methods alleged to infringe, the asserted patent claims, and the remedies sought have not been confirmed from the statement of claim. The defendants have not yet been reported to have filed a substantive response, and the allegations remain unadjudicated.

Life sciences enforcement in focus

The case highlights the importance of patent protection in biotechnology, where technologies for analyzing gene activity and biological processes can underpin research and commercial applications.

It also illustrates the role of university–industry relationships in patent enforcement. Stanford’s involvement alongside 10x Genomics places the dispute within a broader landscape in which academic research and commercial biotechnology intersect.

Proceedings before the UPC can offer patent holders a centralized route to seek relief across participating member states, subject to the patent’s territorial coverage and the court’s jurisdiction. The potential geographic reach of this particular action will depend on the relief sought and the patent’s applicable national validations.

The case is at an early stage. The statement of claim and subsequent filings should provide a clearer picture of the technology in dispute, the alleged infringement, and the commercial implications for the parties.

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