摘要 |
The invention provides methods and compositions for hybridization-based assays that employ oligonucleotide tags, wherein probes specific for the same target polynucleotide are labeled with a plurality of different oligonucleotide tags. When probes are used in conjunction with a microarray, or like, readout platform, containing hybridization sites of tag complements, assay of a target polynucleotide results in a signal being generated from any of a plurality hybridization sites with predetermined addresses and the number of such sites generating a signal is proportional to the relative amount of the target polynucleotide in a population, test sample, or reaction volume, as the case may be. The invention provides methods and compositions for measuring amounts of selected target polynucleotides in a sample and for providing a digital readout of such amounts. Statistical confidence in measurements made by the present invention may be increased as much as desired by increasing the size of the sample of successfully hybridized and selected probes from which signals are generated. |