Kate Appleby
Trainee Patent Attorney
Europe
Edinburgh
Kate joined Marks & Clerk in 2017 as a Trainee Patent Attorney. She works with a range of clients including universities and multinational companies and covers diverse subject-matter in the chemistry and life sciences fields. Kate specialises in physical and inorganic chemistry, specifically organometallic complexes, catalysis, and analytical methods. Her work is focused in patent drafting and prosecution.
Kate has a first class MChem from Durham University, where her final project focussed on the photophysics of molecular wires. She also has a PhD from the University of York, where her research was primarily on characterising low-concentration reaction intermediates using para-H2enhanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
Prior to joining Marks & Clerk, Kate worked as a research associate at the University of York where she helped to develop a new method to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Outside the office, Kate enjoys singing in a choir and playing the saxophone.
Languages
- English
Specialist in
Qualifications
MChem (Durham University)
PhD Catalytic Mechanisms (University of York)
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Latest articles by Kate Appleby
Polymers, parameters and product-by-process claims
Last year, our colleague Peter Youle wrote about the pitfalls of parameters in patent claims. Whilst small molecules are typically claimed using structural features and formulae, these are usually unsuitable for defining a polymer. Instead, parameters, such as the weight average molecular weight (Mw), are frequently used to characterise polymers.
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Get the F out of my chemical: tackling PFAS contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contain multiple carbon-fluorine bonds. These bonds give rise to desirable properties, e.g. tolerance to high temperatures, which has led to widespread use of PFAS. Extensive use of PFAS has resulted in contamination of water and soil with these chemicals, but what can be done to combat this?
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Crystallising European practice on the patentability of polymorphs
Taking a new drug candidate from the initial discovery phase, through clinical trials, and then to market can be a lengthy process. In some cases, the maximum 20-year term of a patent for a new chemical entity (NCE) may not be enough to provide innovators with adequate protection at the later stages of the drug development process
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