Patent ID: 6812334
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: B01J,B82B,B82Y,C07B,C07H,C12Q,C40B

Abstract:
A nanoparticle having oligonucleotides attached thereto, the oligonucleotides comprising at least one type of recognition oligonucleotides, each of the recognition oligonucleotides comprising a spacer portion and a recognition portion, the spacer portion being designed so that it is bound to the nanoparticles, the recognition portion having a sequence complementary to at least one portion of the sequence of a nucleic acid or another oligonucleotide, wherein in the presence of said nucleic acid or said another oligonucleotide and under hybridization conditions, the nanoparticle having oligonucleotides bound thereto forms a complex with said nucleic acid or said another oligonucleotide, the complex having a sharp melting profile and an increased melting temperature, relative to a melting profile and a melting temperature of an analogous complex formed with said nucleic acid or said another oligonucleotide and an unlabeled or fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotide having a sequence identical to the oligonucleotides bound to the nanoparticle, to allow for selective discrimination of one or more nucleotide insertions, deletions, or mismatches in said nucleic acid or said another oligonucleotide under stringent hybridization conditions.