Patent ID: 7807372

Claim:
A method of assessing selectivity of a destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule comprising: a) heating a first mixture comprising (1) a first complex comprising a first functionalized nanoparticle and a second functionalized nanoparticle, (2) a first hairpin oligonucleotide, and (3) the destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule to determine a first melting temperature of the first complex in the first mixture, b) comparing the first melting temperature of the first complex in the first mixture to a second melting temperature of the first complex in a second mixture comprising (1) the first complex, (2) a second different hairpin oligonucleotide; and (3) the destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule, wherein (i) a higher first melting temperature than the second melting temperature indicates stronger selectivity of the destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule compound for the first hairpin oligonucleotide than for the second hairpin oligonucleotide, (ii) a lower first melting temperature than second melting temperature indicates a stronger selectivity of the destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule for the second hairpin oligonucleotide than for the first hairpin oligonucleotide, and (iii) a first melting temperature essentially equal to the second melting temperature indicates essentially equal selectivity of the destabilizing oligonucleotide-binding molecule for the second hairpin oligonucleotide and the first hairpin oligonucleotide; and the first functionalized nanoparticle comprises a first oligonucleotide on at least a portion of the first nanoparticle surface and the second functionalized nanoparticle comprises a second oligonucleotide on at least a portion of the second nanoparticle surface, and the first oligonucleotide is sufficiently complementary to the second oligonucleotide to hybridize.