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The US Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent for the technology of knockout (deactivation) of cotton genes. According to the terms of the patent technology will be protected in addition to the US in another 20 countries.

Issuance by the US of a patent of high-tech development of Uzbek scientists of the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics of the Academy of Sciences is an unprecedented event and an unquestionable recognition of the achievements of our scientists in the field of high technologies.

This technology was developed by Uzbek scientists in 2008 and further research with the support of the Government of Uzbekistan led to the creation of a high-yield, early-maturing, long-fiber, drought-resistant and salt-tolerant biotech cotton varieties of the Porloq series. The technology has made it possible to improve several agronomically valuable features of cotton at the same time, which was not the case in the world history of plant breeding and genetic engineering.

Currently, Porloq varieties are sold at 12% more expensive than conventional fibers and they have a very high demand in the world market. In 2017, the seeds of "Porloq" varieties were planted on the territory of more than 52 thousand hectares in the country and further expansion of crops is expected.

It should be noted that filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office even simple application is a laborious and complex process that involves detailed verification of the results obtained, and it is even more difficult if the applicant is another country.

"The application was submitted in April 2012. American experts have repeatedly revised the details of the development to ensure their reliability and patentability, since not every country is capable of such developments in the field of molecular technologies. We for 5 years almost without stopping the correspondence and justified responded to the comments of the patent office. And finally, after many years of persistent negotiations, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent," said professor, director of the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics Ibrohim Abdurakhmanov.