Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Orchid Biosciences, Inc.

Steven R Head

Michael T Boyce-Jacino

Jonathan Karn

Philip Goelet

Miriam B Addelston

The present invention describes a novel nucleic acid sequencing reagent which consists of a capture moiety, a spacer region and a sequence specific hybridizing region of 4-8 bases. The nucleic acid sequencing reagent of the present invention can also contain an attachment moiety. The nucleic acid sequencing reagent can be arranged into a nested array. This array configuration can then be used to sequence a given template without prior knowledge (de novo) of the wild type or expected sequence in conjunction with primer extension in the presence of a labeled chain terminating nucleotide.

De novo or 'universal' sequencing array

The present invention relates to the field of nucleic acid sequence analysis. The invention provides methods for performing a polymerase signal assay (PSA) to analyze nucleotide sequences using solid phase sequence arrays comprising a plurality of sequence reagents with primer sequences 4-6 bases in length. The methods of the invention generate a binary signal pattern which can be used to identify nucleic acid sequences and/or mutations and polymorphisms of a nucleic acid sequence. Mutations and polymorphisms which can be identified by the methods of the invention include single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's), base deletions, base insertions, and heterozygous as well homozygous polymorphisms.

Polymerase signaling assay

De novo or &ldquo;universal&rdquo; sequencing array

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, MD, United States of America

Steven R Head