Bio-Rad sued by Caltech over DNA analysis technology

By Blake Brittain

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Diagnostics company Bio-Rad BIO.N has been sued by the California Institute of Technology for allegedly misusing the school's patented technology for analyzing biological samples.

Caltech's lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Tuesday said Bio-Rad's Droplet platform incorporates the university's technology for improving medical diagnostics by tagging analysis targets in biological samples with different colors.

The school requested an unspecified amount of monetary damages and a court order for Bio-Rad to stop infringing its patent. The case is one of several patent infringement lawsuits brought by and against diagnostics companies in disputes over gene-analysis technology.

Spokespeople for Bio-Rad did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint. A spokesperson for Caltech declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

The Pasadena, California university said that its researchers created technology that revolutionized "multiplexing," a method for analyzing biological samples using colored "fluorophores."

The lawsuit said that Hercules, California-based Bio-Rad incorporated Caltech's improved multiplexing technology into its QX600 and QX ONE systems — used for cancer research, gene therapy, food and wastewater testing and other applications — without permission.

The university also said Bio-Rad is involved in ongoing related patent litigation with ChromaCode, a molecular diagnostics startup founded by Caltech researchers.

The case is California Institute of Technology v. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 5:25-cv-01701.

For Caltech: Bradley Graveline, Martin Bader and Jesse Salen of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton

For Bio-Rad: attorney information not yet available