Patent ID: 7501284

Claim:
A method for isolating one or more different-sequence polynucleotides from a mixture, the method comprising: (a) flowing the mixture through a flow path containing a plurality of solid supports which are located in series in the flow path, such that the mixture flows serially through each of the plurality of solid supports, each support having bound thereto a sequence-specific capture agent complementary to a different-sequence polynucleotide, under conditions effective to specifically bind different-sequence polynucleotides to corresponding sequence-specific capture agents on one or more of the supports, (b) after step (a), releasing bound polynucleotides from a selected support by altering a physical property of that support while leaving unaltered the same physical property of at least one other of the supports, wherein the physical property is temperature, and wherein said releasing is accomplished by heating a first solid support; and (c) eluting the released polynucleotides through the flow path such that the eluted polynucleotides can be isolated in separated form.