Thomas A. Isenbarger, J.D., Ph.D.
Shareholder
Dr. Isenbarger specializes in drafting and prosecuting patent applications, both domestically and internationally, and offers strategic intellectual property portfolio management. His technical expertise ranges from molecular biology to advanced manufacturing technologies, serving a diverse array of clients.
Dr. Isenbarger focuses his practice on drafting and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications and developing intellectual property portfolios. He regularly assists and advises clients in matters of post-issuance proceedings, due diligence review, licensing, patentability, freedom to operate, invalidity, and enforceability. He also counsels clients in technology commercialization and in other areas of intellectual property, including trademarks, trade dress, copyrights, and trade secrets.
Dr. Isenbarger provides clients with coordinated intellectual property strategies by identifying relevant aspects of intellectual property development and integrating them to provide holistic portfolio management, monitoring, and enforcement that align with and promote business goals and development. His clients include publicly traded corporations, small and mid-size biotechnology companies, universities, non-profit organizations, and manufacturing companies.
His areas of technical expertise include molecular biology, biochemistry, nucleic acid amplification (PCR, isothermal amplification, and related technologies), bioinformatics, genomics, metagenomics, nucleic acid sequencing, nucleic acid and protein diagnostics, lateral flow assays, SARS-CoV-2, CRISPR and related technologies, antibodies and immunology, plant genetics and breeding, molecular evolution and phylogeny, environmental microbiology, natural products discovery, psychedelic drug therapies (psilocybin, DMT, and related compounds), RNA interference, medical imaging, radiotherapy, microarrays, materials, microfluidics, mechanical devices, automated driving technologies, three-dimensional printing, and weather sensing.
- Attorney, Casimir Jones, 2018 to present
- Summer Associate, Foley & Lardner, 2008 & 2009
- Postdoctoral Scientist, Departments of Plant Pathology and Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2004-2007
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2001-2004
- J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School (magna cum laude; Order of the Coif), 2010
- Ph.D., Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2001
- B.S., Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame (summa cum laude), 1994
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- State Bar of Wisconsin
1. Isenbarger, T.A., In re Kubin’s Reinvigorated Nonobviousness Standard for DNA Patents, Wisconsin Law Review 2009(6): 1435–1470 (2010).
2. Friedländer, M., Adamidi, C., Han, T., Lebedeva, S., Isenbarger, T., Hirst, M., Marra, M., Nusbaum, C., Lee, W., Jenkin, J., Sanchez Alvarado, A., Kim, J., Rajewsky, N. High-resolution Profiling and Discovery of Planarian Small RNAs, PNAS 106(28): 11546–11551 (2009).
3. Isenbarger, T.A., Carr, C.E., Johnson, S.S., Finney, M., Church, G.M., Gilbert, W., Zuber, M.T., & Ruvkun, G. The Most Conserved Genome Segments for Life Detection on Earth and Other Planets, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 38(6): 517–533 (2008).
4. Isenbarger, T.A., Finney, M., Handelsman, J., & Ruvkun, G. Miniprimer PCR, a New Lens for Viewing the Microbial World, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74(3): 745–752 (2008).
5. Isenbarger, T.A., & Krebs, M.P. Thermodynamic Stability of the Bacteriorhodopsin Lattice As Measured by Lipid Dilution. Biochemistry 40(39): 11923–11931 (2001).
6. Ng, W.V., Kennedy, S.P., . . ., Isenbarger, T.A., . . ., Hood, L., & DasSarma, S. Genome Sequence of Halobacterium species NRC-1. PNAS 97(22): 11677–12388 (2000).
7. Krebs, M.P., & Isenbarger, T.A. Structural Determinants of Purple Membrane Assembly. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1460(1): 15–26 (2000).
8. Isenbarger, T.A., & Krebs, M.P. Role of Helix-Helix Interactions in Assembly of the Bacteriorhodopsin Lattice. Biochemistry 38(28): 9023–9030 (1999).
9. Meccia, J., Casimir, D., Li, S., Shams, S., Isenbarger, T.A., & Seelig, M. “Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment Resistant Depression with 5-MeO-DMT: Impact of 25 Years of Non-Traditional Public Scientific Communication and Education on Clinical Development and Commercialization”, in preparation.
10. Shams, S., Li, S., & Isenbarger, T.A. “Beyond the Trip: A Legal Odyssey – Charting the Course for Psychedelic Innovation through Law and Policy” in Psychedelic Medicine: Law and Policy (G. Cohen et al., eds.), Cambridge University Press (2026).
11. Shams, S., Pratt, A.R., Li, S., & Isenbarger, T. The Evolving Role of History in the Past, Present, and Future of Psychedelic Patenting. History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals 65(1), 117-130 (2023).