Patent ID: 6630307
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: B82Y,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of detecting a target analyte in a sample containing or suspected of containing one or more analytes, comprising the steps of:(a) providing the sample on a solid support wherein the analyte is a nucleic acid molecule; (b) combining with said sample a specific-binding molecule, wherein (i) said specific-binding molecule is a polymerase chain reaction amplification product comprising biotin as a detectable label, and (ii) said combining is performed under conditions that allow formation of a first complex comprising said specific-binding molecule and said analyte, when present; (c) removing any unbound specific-binding molecule; (d) combining said first complex with a first semiconductor nanocrystal conjugate, wherein said first semiconductor nanocrystal conjugate comprises multiple interlinked biotin, and avidin- or streptavidin-labeled, semiconductor nano crystals configured such that free biotin-binding sites are present in the first semiconductor nanocrystal conjugate and wherein said combining is performed under conditions that allow formation of a second complex comprising to first semiconductor nanocrystal conjugate and said analyte; and (e) detecting the presence of the second complex, if present, by monitoring a spectral emission mediated by the first semiconductor nanocrystal conjugate in the second complex, wherein the emission indicates the presence of the target analyte in the sample.