Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Gmbh

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Renee Weber

Walter Gumbrecht

Peter Paulicka

Manfred Stanzel

Katja Friedrich

A method is disclosed for calibrating a sensor element, which has an immobilized probe oligonucleotide, via which the bonding of a target nucleic acid (Z) can be detected by the sensor. In at least one embodiment, the method includes: a) bringing the sensor element into contact with a control nucleic acid (K), the melting temperature Tm(K) of which is less than the melting temperature Tm(Z) of the target nucleic acid (Z); b) hybridizing the control nucleic acid (K) to the probe oligonucleotide at a temperature T[p]&#x3c;Tm(K), and detecting a positive control signal; and optionally c) modifying the stringent conditions such that T[n]&#x3e;Tm(K) and detecting a negative control signal at a temperature T[n]. According to a refinement of at least one embodiment of the invention, a measuring signal of the target nucleic acid (Z) is measured at a measuring temperature T [mess], where Tm(K)&#x3c;T[mess]&#x3c;Tm(Z). The method is suited in particular for the calibration and quality control of microarrays.

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Langenau-Albeck, Germany

Renee Weber