Patent ID: 9458555
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: C40B,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method for selecting a microarray suitable for performing specific binding reactions, wherein the microarray suitable for performing the specific binding reactions meets a predetermined quality standard, the method comprising the steps of: (a) performing a staining interaction by contacting microarrays with a solution comprising detectable cationic gold nanoparticles under conditions, wherein biomolecules are immobilized at discrete locations on the surface of each of the microarrays, wherein the detectable cationic gold nanoparticles are able to reversibly stain the biomolecules through an electrostatic interaction, and wherein the conditions comprise suitable solution pH and suitable solution ionic strength for staining the biomolecules with the cationic gold nanoparticles, thereby forming stained microarrays comprising the cationic gold nanoparticles; (b) detecting a visible staining signal from the cationic gold nanoparticles on the stained microarrays after the staining interaction, wherein the predetermined standard of quality is selected from the group consisting of: a stained microarray from the stained microarrays has an uniform intensity of the visible staining signal at each of its discrete locations and a stained microarray from the stained microarrays has an uniformity of the visible staining signal at various locations, and (c) selecting a microarray that meets the predetermined quality standard from the stained microarrays as the microarray suitable for performing the specific binding reactions.