Patent ID: 7238490

Claim:
A method to identify a compound which interferes with the interaction of a first substance with a second substance which method comprises contacting, in the absence of a candidate compound, said first substance coupled to a first demitope with said second substance coupled to a second demitope complimentary to the first demitope, wherein said substances are heterologous to the demitopes, and they are known to interact, in the presence of a reporter, wherein said first and second demitopes when assembled, form a paratope which binds said reporter and wherein said reporter generates an immediate detectable signal when bound to the paratope, and wherein said first substance and said second substance interact to generate an immediate detectable signal; contacting, in the presence of a candidate compound, said first substance coupled to a said first demitope with said second substance coupled to said second demitope in the presence of said reporter, determining the presence, absence or magnitude of the signal produced in each case; comparing the signal produced in the presence of said candidate compound with the signal produced in the absence of the candidate compound; wherein a reduction in the magnitude of the signal produced or the abolition of the signal produced in the presence of said compound as compared to the signal in the absence of said compound identifies said compound as interfering with the interaction of said first and second substance.