Patent ID: 7321828

Claim:
A system of associated components for preparing a set of oligonucleotides that modulates expression of a selected nucleic acid comprising: a computer system that i) generates a list of oligonucleotide sequences according to a desired oligonucleotide length, thereby generating a series of oligonucleotide sequences; ii) applies a virtual oligonucleotide chemistry to the oligonucleotide sequences generated in step i) to yield a set of virtual oligonucleotides; iii) generates a subset of said set of virtual oligonucleotides, said subset being the result of a decision to target a functional region of said selected nucleic acid; and iv) generates synthesis instructions in computer manipulable form for said oligonucleotide sequences in said subset of said set of virtual oligonucleotides; an automated synthesizer that receives said synthesis instructions from said computer system and synthesizes only said oligonucleotide sequences in said subset of said set of virtual oligonucleotides, wherein the product of said synthesis is a set of synthesized oligonucleotides; and an apparatus that accepts said set of synthesized oligonucleotides and performs at least one procedure for each of said synthesized oligonucleotides wherein said procedure identifies particular members of said set that modulate expression of said selected nucleic acid.