Title: Methods for separation of polymeric compounds

Abstract

Recently two techniques using free solution electrophoresis to separate charged-uncharged polymer conjugates have proven successful: End Labeled Free Solution Electrophoresis (ELFSE) for DNA sequencing, and Free Solution Conjugate Electrophoresis (FSCE) for molar mass profiling of uncharged polymers. Previous attempts have been made to analyze experimental data generated by these new techniques for the electrophoresis of molecules with varying charge distributions. However, the importance of the ends of the polymers in determining the polymer's overall mobility was neglected in previous work. Through a careful investigation and a reanalysis of the experimental data, it is determined here that this “end effect” critically impacts the behavior of polymers and charged-uncharged polymer conjugates during electrophoresis. In this way, the invention provides for methods that exploit this “end effect” for the separation of polymeric molecules on the basis of size, including for example DNA separation and sequencing techniques.

Inventors:

Slater, Gary W.; McCormick, Laurette C.; Barron, Annelise E.; Meagher, Robert J.

Issue Date:

2008-05-13

Research Org.:

Univ. of Ottawa, Ottawa, CA (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1531555

Patent Number(s):

7371533

Application Number:

11/241,990

Assignee:

University of Ottawa (Ottawa, CA); Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

C - CHEMISTRY C07 - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY C07K - PEPTIDES

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12Q - MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS

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C - CHEMISTRY C07 - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY C07K - PEPTIDES

C07K1/13 - Labelling of peptides
C07K1/26 - Electrophoresis

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12Q - MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS

C12Q1/6816 - characterised by the detection means
C12Q2525/185 - incorporating bases where the precise position of the bases in the nucleic acid string is important
C12Q2565/125 - Electrophoretic separation

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DOE Contract Number:  

FG02-99ER62789

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2005-10-04

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English