Nucleic acid-polymer conjugates for bright fluorescent tags

A composition comprising:

• a polymer comprising a plurality of side chains, one of a plurality of a first strand of nucleic acid being attached to each of the plurality of the side chains, one of a plurality of a second strand of nucleic acid which is complementary to a first portion the first strand of nucleic acid being complexed to each of the plurality of the first strand of nucleic acid to form a double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, a plurality of at least one fluorescent compound being covalently attached to the second strand of the double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, a third strand of nucleic acid which is complementary to a second portion of the first strand of nucleic acid and is complexed to the second portion of the first strand of nucleic acid, the third strand of nucleic acid having one or more of the at least one fluorescent compound covalently attached thereto, and a moiety being attached to one of the side chains, wherein the moiety has a binding affinity for one or more target species and wherein the composition is mobile in a liquid matrix.

A method of labeling a target species, comprising:

• attaching a label to the target species, wherein the label comprises a composition comprising a polymer comprising a plurality of side chains, one of a plurality of a first strand of nucleic acid being attached to each of the plurality of the side chains, one of a plurality of a second strand of nucleic acid which is complementary to the first strand of nucleic acid being complexed to each of the plurality of the first strand of nucleic acid to form a double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, a plurality of at least one fluorescent compound being attached to the second strand of the double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, the double-stranded nucleic acid further comprising at least one other fluorescent compound different from the at least one fluorescent compound to which excitation energy can be transferred to effect a red shift in an emission wavelength, and a moiety being attached to one of the side chains, wherein the moiety has a binding affinity for the target species, wherein the polymer is a bottlebrush copolymer comprising a backbone from which the side chains extend, the side chains being formed via a reversible-deactivation radical polymerization and wherein the composition is mobile in a liquid matrix.

A method of labeling a target species, comprising:

• attaching a label to the target species, wherein the label comprises a composition comprising a polymer comprising a plurality of side chains, one of a plurality of a first strand of nucleic acid being attached to each of the plurality of the side chains, one of a plurality of a second strand of nucleic acid which is complementary to a first portion of the first strand of nucleic acid being complexed to each of the plurality of the first strand of nucleic acid to form a double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, a plurality of at least one fluorescent compound being covalently attached to the second strand of the double-stranded nucleic acid on each of the plurality of the side chains, a third strand of nucleic acid which is complementary to a second portion of the first strand of nucleic acid and is complexed to the second portion of the first strand of nucleic acid, the third strand of nucleic acid having one or more of the at least one fluorescent compound covalently attached thereto, and a moiety being attached to one of the side chains, wherein the moiety has a binding affinity for the target species and wherein the composition is mobile in a liquid matrix.