Patent ID: 7879580

Claim:
A method for removing or controlling errors in a plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules, the method comprising: a) synthesizing said plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules by the steps of: providing a first immobilized nucleic acid comprising a first 5′ region and a first 3′ region; providing a second immobilized nucleic acid comprising a second 5′ region and a second 3′ region, wherein said second 3 ′ region and said first 5′ region comprise identical nucleic acid sequences; hybridizing said first immobilized nucleic acid with an oligonucleotide under conditions promoting hybridization of said oligonucleotide to said first 3′ region, extending the hybridized oligonucleotide, and producing a first extension product comprising a 3′ region that is complementary to said first 5′ region; and hybridizing said second immobilized nucleic acid with said first extension product under conditions promoting hybridization of said 3′ region of said first extension product to said second 3′ region, extending the 3′ region of said first extension product, and producing a second extension product comprising a 3′ region that is complementary to said second 5′ region, wherein said second extension product comprises a sequence complementary to said first 3′ and 5′ regions and said second 3 ′ and 5′ regions, and the individual nucleic acid molecules of said second extension product comprise said plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules; b) distinguishing between error-free and error-containing nucleic acid molecules within said plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules; and c) selectively amplifying only the error-free nucleic acid molecules from said plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules, thereby decreasing the relative amount of the error-containing nucleic acid molecules within said plurality or pool of nucleic acid molecules.