Patent ID: 8354239

Claim:
An assay method comprising: providing a sample that is suspected of containing a target biomolecule; providing a multichromophore complex comprising a multichromophore covalently linked to a sensor biomolecule by a unique covalent bioconjugation site, wherein the multichromophore comprises the structure wherein m, n and p are >1; wherein each R 1 is independently an ethylene glycol oligomer or ethylene glycol polymer; wherein 1, 2 and 3 are π-conjugated units independently selected from the group consisting of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, fluorene, indenofluorene, thiophene, thienothiophene, dithienothiophene, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, furan, pyridine, pyrrole, fused pyrrole, carbazole, quinoxaline, benzothiadiazole, benzotriazole, tetrahydropyrene and oxadiazole, each optionally substituted, and wherein 2 and/or 3 comprise one or more said unique covalent bioconjugation sites, linked by a linker and wherein 1, 2 and 3 can optionally be angled π-conjugated linkers in the π-conjugated backbone, and wherein the sensor biomolecule is capable of specifically interacting with the target biomolecule or a target associated biomolecule; contacting the sample with the multichromophore complex under conditions in which the sensor biomolecule can bind to the target biomolecule or a target-associated biomolecule if present; applying a light source to the sample that can excite the multichromophore; and detecting whether light is emitted from the multichromophore.