| 摘要 |
A nucleic acid ligand "biochip" is disclosed, consisting of a solid support to which one or more specific nucleic acid ligands is attached in a spatially defined manner. Each nucleic acid ligand binds specifically and avidly to a particular target molecule contained within a test mixture, such as a bodily fluid. The target molecules include, but are not limited to, proteins (cellular, viral, bacterial, etc.) hormones, sugars, metabolic byproducts, cofactor, and intermediates, drugs, and toxins. Contacting the test mixture with the biochip leads to the binding of a target molecule to its cognate nucleic acid ligand. Binding of target to the nucleic acid ligand results in a detectable change at each specific location on the biochip. The detectable change can include, but is not limited to, a change in fluorescence, or a change in a physical parameter, such as electrical conductance or refractive index, at each location on the biochip. The biochip will then be read by a device, such as a fluorescence scanner or a surface plasmon resonance detector, that can measure the magnitude of the change at each location on the biochip. The location of the change reveals what target molecule has been detected, and the magnitude of the change indicates how much of it is present. The combination of these two pieces of information will yield diagnostic and prognostic medical information when signal patterns are compared with those obtained from bodily fluids of individuals with diagnosed disorders. In principle, the biochip could be used to test any chemically complex mixture provided that nucleic acid ligands to components suspected of being present in the mixture are attached to the biochip. Thus, the nucleic acid ligand biochip will have a wider use in environmental testing, etc. |
