Patent ID: 8649983

Claim:
A method for producing a fraction of nonhuman mammalian gametes, the method comprising: contacting intact viable nonhuman mammalian gametes with a detection conjugate, wherein the gametes are spermatozoa and wherein the detection conjugate has an oligonucleotide having a sex-chromosome-specific nucleic acid sequence that is bound to a gold nanoparticle; irradiating the detection conjugate with radiation having an excitation wavelength; detecting radiation emitted by the detection conjugate when irradiated with the radiation having an excitation wavelength by measuring the emitted radiation of the surface plasmon resonance; and deflecting the spermatozoa into one of at least two fractions of viable nonhuman gametes in dependence on a measured signal, wherein one of the at least two fractions has a predominant portion of fertile gametes containing an X-chromosome or a Y-chromosome.