Patenting life was taken a step further in 1984, when Harvard University successfully applied for a patent on its “oncomouse,” a laboratory mouse specifically designed to get cancer easily, so that it would be more useful as a research tool. There are good grounds for objecting to turning a sentient being into a patented laboratory tool, but it is not so easy to see why patent law should not cover newly designed bacteria or algae, which can feel nothing and may be as useful as any other invention.
用生命体申请专利的行为在1984年又进了一步，当时哈佛大学成功为他们的“oncomouse”申请了专利，这种在实验室生产出来的老鼠经过设计之后非常容易罹患癌症，因此会成为一种非常有用的实验工具。虽然有很多正当的理由去反对将一个有知觉的生物变成一个专利实验工具，但也不那么容易去说明白为什么专利法不能涵盖新设计的细菌或者藻类：它们既无知觉，也能像其他任何发明一样有用。