Patent ID: 6960438

Claim:
A method for determining an effect of a stimulus on RNA transcription, comprising the steps of: (a) simultaneously or in either order, (i) contacting a cell with a biotinylated rNTP analogue, such that the biotinylated rNTP analogue is incorporated into mRNA transcribed by the cell and integrity of the cell is not compromised by incorporation of the biotinylated rNTP analogue as compared to a cell not contacted with the biotinylated rNTP analogue; and (ii) exposing the cell to a stimulus; (b) terminating transcription within the cell; (c) determining a level of a biotinylated RNA in the cell; and (d) comparing the level in step (c) with a level for a similarly treated cell that is not exposed to the stimulus, and therefrom determining the effect of the stimulus on transcription of the RNA.