Patent ID: 7514210

Claim:
A method of selecting an active nucleic acid replicase, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a pool of nucleic acids comprising nucleic acid members each encoding a nucleic acid replicase; (b) subdividing the pool of nucleic acids into compartments, such that each compartment comprises a nucleic acid member and the contents of each compartment are not in contact with the contents of other compartments; (c) expressing the nucleic acid member in the compartment to form the nucleic acid replicase encoded by said nucleic acid member; (d) providing conditions within the compartment under which the nucleic acid member may be processed by the nucleic acid replicase encoded by said nucleic acid member; and (e) detecting processing of the nucleic acid member by the nucleic acid replicase encoded by said nucleic acid member, whereby an active nucleic acid replicase is selected.