What is ST.26?

The current Sequence Listing standard, ST.25, was implemented in 1998, over 20 years ago.  In the field of biotechnology, 22 years equates to decades of innovation and changes in patent disclosure.  As such, a new standard, abbreviated WIPO ST.26, was proposed and approved for implementation on January 1, 2022. 

Unique to this standard is the new format which makes the shift from an ASCII text file to an XML file. Additional sequence requirements have been made to capture sequences and molecule types not required in current Sequence Listings.

The goal of the new XML format is to facilitate the transfer and sharing of sequence information across patent offices and database producers which will also allow for more comprehensive sequence searches.  The standardization should also allow for applicants to prepare and file the same Sequence Listing across multiple international, national and regional patent offices. 

To give a quick glimpse at how dramatic the format change is, here is an example of a short DNA sequence in the old and new format:

Current format: ST.25

<210>  1
<211>  17
<212>  DNA
<213>  Artificial Sequence

<220>
<223>  primer

<400>  1
atgcgtccgg cgtagag                                                 17

New format: ST.26

<ST26SequenceListing   dtdVersion="V1_3" fileName="Sample ST.26" softwareName="WIPO Sequence" 
softwareVersion="1.1.0-beta2" productionDate="2021-02-15">
    <ApplicationIdentification>
        <IPOfficeCode>US</IPOfficeCode>
        <ApplicationNumberText>77/777,777</ApplicationNumberText>
        <FilingDate></FilingDate>
    </ApplicationIdentification>
    <ApplicantFileReference>SAMPLE</ApplicantFileReference>
    <ApplicantName languageCode="en">APPLICANT</ApplicantName>
    <InventionTitle languageCode="en">TITLE</InventionTitle>
    <SequenceTotalQuantity>1</SequenceTotalQuantity>
    <SequenceData sequenceIDNumber="1">
        <INSDSeq>
            <INSDSeq_length>17</INSDSeq_length>
            <INSDSeq_moltype>DNA</INSDSeq_moltype>
            <INSDSeq_division>PAT</INSDSeq_division>
            <INSDSeq_feature-table>
                <INSDFeature>
                    <INSDFeature_key>source</INSDFeature_key>
                    <INSDFeature_location>1..17</INSDFeature_location>
                    <INSDFeature_quals>
                        <INSDQualifier>
                            <INSDQualifier_name>mol_type</INSDQualifier_name>
                            <INSDQualifier_value>other DNA</INSDQualifier_value>
                        </INSDQualifier>
                        <INSDQualifier>
                            <INSDQualifier_name>organism</INSDQualifier_name>
                            <INSDQualifier_value>synthetic construct</INSDQualifier_value>
                        </INSDQualifier>
                    </INSDFeature_quals>
                </INSDFeature>
            </INSDSeq_feature-table>
            <INSDSeq_sequence>atgcgtccggcgtagag</INSDSeq_sequence>
        </INSDSeq>
    </SequenceData>
</ST26SequenceListing>