Freedom to operate versus patentability in biotech: What the difference is and why it matters

When out and about talking with scientists, PatKat is often asked to explain the difference between freedom to operate (FTO) and patentability. The distinction between FTO and patentability is highly relevant to the field of biotechnology and understanding the difference is crucial. However, whilst the majority of "Intro to IP" talks begin with telling us that patents are negative monopolies