US Patent 7195875 Oligonucleotide pairs for multiplexed binding assays

The invention is an oligonucleotide-based assay system and kit useful for sorting, detecting, and identifying analytes. The system utilizes complementary oligonucleotide pairs in which one oligonucleotide of each pair is immobilized to a solid substrate and the other oligonucleotide has an analyte binding agent attached to it. The different oligonucleotide pairs hybridize at substantially the same rate, have substantially the same Tm, have nucleotide sequences designed to minimize cross-hybridization between different pairs, and hybridize together relatively rapidly at ambient temperatures without detectable cross-hybridization.