Introduction:
A microorganism is a microscopic organism, known to be one of
the earliest life forms on earth. Viruses, fungi, bacteria,
archaea, protozoa and algae are the six major forms of
microorganisms, exploited expeditiously by the biotechnologists and
micro-biologists for research purposes. From beer brewing, bread
making to mass production of antibiotics, microorganisms is used in
all such processes by the scientists to reach the desired results.
Genetic engineering techniques, DNA typing etc., have further paved
way for genetically modified organisms such as the genetically
modified bacterium, as in the US Supreme court case of Diamond v.
Chakrabarty.
The case of Diamond v.
Chakrabarty1 in 1980s, opened gates for
the patentability of microorganisms, wherein the claim of a
Micro-biologist Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty, for the grant of patent for
a live human made & genetically engineered bacterium, capable
of breaking the components of crude oil was accepted by
