Optically decodable microcarriers, arrays and methods
First Claim
1. A coded microcarrier having immobilized on its surface a plurality of quenched, labeled signaling hairpin molecules each comprising an interacting affinity pair separated by a linking moiety, one member of the affinity pair having bound thereto at least one fluorophore and the other member of the affinity pair having bound thereto at least one quencher, wherein interaction of the affinity pair of each hairpin molecule is disruptable by a physical or chemical change in a condition of its environment, wherein the disruption of the interaction of at least one affinity pair occurs at a first level of said condition and the disruption of the interaction of at least another affinity pair occurs at a second level of said condition, and where said disruptions are optically differentiable.
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Abstract
A coding scheme for microcarriers suitable for use in distributed arrays includes labeling the carriers with quenched signaling hairpin molecules with any one of three to eight distinguishable fluorophores wherein the hairpins are of at least two types, most preferably three types, that open and fluoresce differentially as a chemical or physical condition, for example temperature, is changed. Mixtures of microcarriers having immobilized capture probes can be decoded by measuring fluorescence from said fluorophores under conditions under which only one type of hairpin is open, under which two types of hairpin are open, and so on. Mixtures of coded microcarriers with capture probes are used in assays for nucleic acids utilizing microarray methods.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A coded microcarrier having immobilized on its surface a plurality of quenched, labeled signaling hairpin molecules each comprising an interacting affinity pair separated by a linking moiety, one member of the affinity pair having bound thereto at least one fluorophore and the other member of the affinity pair having bound thereto at least one quencher, wherein interaction of the affinity pair of each hairpin molecule is disruptable by a physical or chemical change in a condition of its environment, wherein the disruption of the interaction of at least one affinity pair occurs at a first level of said condition and the disruption of the interaction of at least another affinity pair occurs at a second level of said condition, and where said disruptions are optically differentiable.
Specification