Patent ID: 7122319
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of detecting the presence or absence of a plurality of analytes in a sample, the method comprising the steps of: providing for each analyte a binding composition having a oligonucleotide label; providing for each oligonucleotide label a reagent pair, consisting of a detection probe specific for the oligonucleotide label in a given region, and a helper probe specific for the oligonucleotide label at a location adjacent to the given region, the detection probe having a molecular tag attached, said tag having distinct optical or separation properties with respect to molecular tags of other detection probes; combining the binding compositions with the sample so that analyte complexes are formed between the analytes and their respective binding compositions; removing binding compositions that do not form analyte complexes; combining under hybridization conditions: the analyte complexes, the reagent pairs corresponding to the oligonucleotide label of each binding composition, and a nuclease, such that the helper probe and the detection probe specific for each oligonucleotide label form a cleavage structure with said oligonucleotide label that is recognized by the nuclease, and the nuclease cleaves the structure to release the molecular tag; and separating and identifying the released molecular tags to determine the presence or absence of the plurality of analytes.