The Trump administration is warning Harvard University that it could take over its patents, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, if a review finds the university hasn’t complied with federal law, an escalation of the ongoing negotiations between the White House and America’s oldest university.

The Trump administration is opening a new front in its battle with Harvard University on the issue of patents, marking a new escalation with the elite school that could result in the loss of additional federal funding or intellectual property rights.

The Trump administration on Friday ordered a comprehensive review of Harvard University's federally funded research programs, and threatened to take title to or grant licenses from the school's lucrative portfolio of patents.