Patent Document ID: 5445935
Application ID: 07980283
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for measuring the binding of a polynucleotide to a macromolecule to form a complex which comprises: i) labelling said polynucleotide with a fluorescent label; ii) obtaining a first measurement of the polarization of the fluorescent emission from said label; iii) contacting said labelled polynucleotide with said macromolecule, under conditions such that the concentration of said labelled polynucleotide ranges from 10 picomolar to 1 nanomolar; iv) obtaining a second measurement of the polarization of the fluorescent emission from said label; v) comparing said first measurement with said second measurement; and vi) detecting formation of said complex by observing an increase in the polarization measured in step (iv) compared to the polarization measured in step (ii); wherein said measurements of fluorescence polarization are made using an apparatus having a component selected from the group consisting of an apparatus having a Xenon arc lamp light source and a UV grade film polarizer, an apparatus having a Xenon arc lamp light source coupled by a fiber optic cable to a sample compartment and a UV grade film polarizer mounted directly on the sample compartment, and an apparatus having a laser light source.