Licensing agreement
Max Planck Innovation GmbH, the technology transfer agency of the Max Planck Society, Germany’s leading basic research organisation, has signed a co-exclusive licence with Leica Microsystems and Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH for its RESOLFT (reversible saturable optical fluorescent transitions) technology, a method of providing nanoscale resolution in light microscopy using visible light and standard lenses.The technology makes a break from the century-old diffraction resolution barrier in conventional microscopy, allowing the resolution of light microscopes down to one or two nanometres. While a number of technologies, such as electron microscopy can visualise virus particles, subcellular structures and macromolecules, RESOLFT fluorescence microscopy enables researchers to observe these structures inside living cells without destroying them.
Both licensees now aim to develop microscopes and imaging technologies based on the RESOLFT technology. “We decided to offer the technology for co-exclusive licensing to strengthen the German industry base,” said Jörn Erselius, Managing Director of Max Planck Innovation.
“However we decided to limit the number of co-licensing opportunities to three, so a third licence is still available.”
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