Patent ID: 7371516

Claim:
A method for evaluating a binding property of a polynucleotide probe to a target nucleotide sequence, said polynucleotide probe comprising a predetermined nucleotide base sequence that is complementary to at least a hybridizable portion of said target nucleotide sequence, said method comprising determining a ratio of the amount of hybridization of polynucleotides in a first sample to the polynucleotide probe and the amount of hybridization of polynucleotides in a second sample to the polynucleotide probe, wherein: (a) the first sample comprises a plurality of polynucleotide molecules comprising said target nucleotide sequence; and (b) the second sample comprises a plurality of different polynucleotide molecules wherein each different polynucleotide molecule comprises a sequence that is different from the nucleotide sequences of any other polynucleotide molecules in said plurality of different polynucleotide molecules, wherein at least 75% of the polynucleotide molecules in said first sample are polynucleotide molecules comprising said target nucleotide sequence, and wherein said ratio is used as a measure of said binding property, thereby evaluating said binding property of said polynucleotide probe.