Methods for improving the sensitivity of hybridization assays

US5702896A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Amoco Corporation · US

Inventors

• Mark L. Collins · Holden, US
• Cecile Blomquist · Brookline, US
• Massimo Lombardo · Framingham, US
• John K. Eldredge · Brewster, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 7, 1996
• Grant date: Dec 30, 1997
• Expiry date: Feb 7, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12Q1/6832
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Methods for improving the sensitivity of hybridization assays which reduce non-specific binding (NSB) and non-specific hybridization (NSH) are disclosed. The methods include a washing method utilizing tetraalkylammonium salts at high temperatures, and release methods in which a probe-target complex is released from a solid support and recaptured. Use of both the washing and release methods results in substantial reduction in NSB and NSH without performing several rounds of release and recapture of the target nucleic acids.