Stratagene

Affymetrix, Inc.

Stratagene California

Daniel Davis Shoemaker

Robert J Shopes

John Lewis Danssaert

Joseph A Sorge

Ronald W Davis

MacDonald S Morris

Michael P Mittmann

A method in which a temperature gradient is generated across a 'gradient' block, and an apparatus comprising a block across which a temperature gradient can be generated. By setting up such a gradient, multiple reaction mixtures held in wells on the gradient block can be simultaneously run at temperatures which differ only slightly, thereby permitting an optimum temperature for the reaction to be quickly identified. In a preferred embodiment the gradient block is integrated into a thermal cycler used for nucleic acid amplification reactions.

Thermal cycler including a temperature gradient block

Methods of selecting tag nucleic acids and VLSIPS&trade; arrays and the arrays made by the methods are used to label and track compositions, including cells and viruses, e.g., in libraries of cells or viruses. In addition to providing a way of tracking compositions in mixtures, the tags facilitate analysis of cell and viral phenotypes.

Selecting tag nucleic acids

An oligonucleotide library is described that is1 useful for producing an oligonucleotide of preselected sequence comprising a plurality of oligonucleotide members comprising one or more oligonucleotide species and having the compositional formula (X).sub.a (N).sub.b ; wherein X represents a non-degenerate nucleotide base and N represents a degenerate nucleotide base; 'a' represents the number of non-degenerate nucleotide positions and is from 3 to 8; 'b' represents the number of degenerate nucleotide positions and is from 0 to 4 but not greater that 'a'; and wherein each of the oligonucleotide species is capable of forming a hybridization complex with at least one other of the oligonucleotide species in the library such that a single ligation event of the hybridization complex with another hybridization complex derived from the library produces a ligation reaction product comprising greater than 12 contiguous nucleotide base pairs.

Oligonucleotide libraries useful for producing primers

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Stanford, CA, United States of America

Daniel Davis Shoemaker