Patent ID: 6214187
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: C12Q,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for analyzing the nucleic acid sequence of at least one target nucleic acid comprising the steps of:a) contacting the target nucleic acid with an electrophoretic medium comprising:i) at least one nucleic acid capture ligand immobilized in the medium, andii) a spatial gradient of a nucleic acid denaturant;b) applying an electric field oriented in a direction parallel to the denaturant gradient under conditions wherein the target sample migrates from a region of high denaturant activity to a region of low denaturant activity and, wherein the target nucleic acid binds to the immobilized capture ligand at a position within the medium relative to the binding affinity between the target and capture ligand; andc) determining one of the following properties:i) the position of the target within the medium, orii) the electrophoretic mobility of the target in the medium,wherein the properties of the target determined in part c) are dependent on the nucleotide sequence or structure of the target nucleic acid.