Patent ID: 7781165

Claim:
A method of decreasing nonspecific hybridization events in a solution comprising nucleic acid sequences, said method comprising the steps of: providing a solution comprising nucleic acid sequences and adding a benzimidazolium compound or a salt of said benzimidazolium compound to the solution wherein the salt of the benzimidazolium compound has a structure wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, C1 alkyl, C2 alkyl, C3 alkyl, C4 alkyl, —(CH 2 ) o —O—(CH 2 ) p —H, wherein o+p is ≦3, q is ≦6, and R 3 is selected from the group consisting of C1 alkyl, C2 alkyl, C3 alkyl, and C4 alkyl, with the proviso that R 1 and R 2 are not both H, and wherein the salt has a sulfonate or halogenide counterion.