ST. LOUIS, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SAGE Labs Inc., a leading provider of products, services and technologies in the field of genome engineering, announced today (July 29) that they have licensed CRISPR/Cas9 technology from the Broad Institute. The license enables SAGE Labs to use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer cell and animal models for their clients as well as distribute validated CRISPR reagents. This is the second license obtained by SAGE Labs around CRISPR/Cas9 technology; SAGE also obtained a license from Caribou Biosciences in September 2013.

The Broad Institute was recently issued the first patent for CRISPR/Cas9 technology based on the research of Feng Zhang, PhD, published in Science in January of 2013. CRISPR/Cas9 technology represents the latest advancement in nuclease-based gene editing tools, which have revolutionized genetic engineering by markedly reducing development times and enabling genetic engineering in potentially any species.

David Smoller, PhD., CEO of SAGE Labs, explained, "At SAGE Labs we use the latest technologies to provide our clients with the most advanced models of human disease, and in the shortest timelines possible. It's also essential that our clients receive the freedom-to-operate with their research models, and we're committed to obtaining the necessary licenses."