Alissa Young, J.D., Ph.D.

/My focus

I have experience drafting and prosecuting patents across a wide variety of biotechnologies, including microbiology (microbiome, probiotics, antibiotics), pharmaceuticals (small and large molecule therapeutics), immunology (immuno-cell therapy, targeted cancer therapies, vaccines), regenerative medicine, biochemistry, molecular biology, diagnostic tests, and medical devices.

I previously worked as a patent scientist at Washington University’s Office of Technology Management. I received my JD from Washington University in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude in the top 10% of the class; I was also accepted into the Order of the Coif. I am registered to practice in the US Patent and Trademark Office as a patent agent. I received my PhD from Washington University in St. Louis in Biological and Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. I graduated summa cum laude from Brigham Young University, in Provo, UT, where I majored in Physiology and Developmental Biology and minored in Microbiology.

/Looking ahead

As researchers dissect the complexities of the microbiome, the fight over probiotic patent protection continues to intensify. Worldwide patent litigation demonstrates that microbiome IP is a hotly contested field.

/Insights

• "A Watershed Moment For Microbiome-Based Therapy," Law360, May 31, 2023, (co-author)