Methods and compositions for signal enhancement using multivalent interactions

A method for detecting the presence or absence of an analyte bound to a solid support, comprising:

• (a) Mixing a multivalent conjugate having an analyte-specific binding site and a plurality of non-analyte-specific binding sites, with an amplification polymer comprising a plurality of capture groups that bind specifically to at least two binding sites of the analyte, to produce a multivalent conjugate/amplification polymer complex;
• (b) Contacting the solid support with the multivalent conjugate/amplification polymer complex of (a), wherein the multivalent conjugate/amplification polymer complex binds to analyte, if present on the solid support;
• (c) Contacting the solid support with a plurality of detection conjugates, wherein a plurality of detection conjugates bind to detection conjugate binding groups of the amplification polymer, if present on the solid support;
• and
• (d) Detecting multivalent conjugates bound to both amplification polymer and analyte.

A method for detecting the presence or absence of an analyte bound to a solid support, comprising:

• (a) Providing an analyte detection complex having an analyte-specific binding site, wherein the complex comprises:
• i. a multivalent bridge conjugate having an analyte specific binding site and a plurality of non-analyte-specific binding sites,
• ii. an amplification polymer comprising a plurality of capture groups bound to at least two binding sites of the analyte and a plurality of detection conjugate binding sites, wherein the amplification polymer binds to one or more non-analyte-specific binding site of the multivalent bridge conjugate, if present on the solid support;
• iii. a plurality of detection conjugates bound to detection conjugate binding sites of the amplification polymer;
• (b) Contacting the analyte detection conjugate complex of (a) with the solid support, wherein the complex binds to the analyte, if present on the solid support;
• and
• (c) Detecting analyte detection conjugate complex bound to analyte.

A method for detecting the presence or absence of a multivalent analyte bound to a solid support, comprising:

• (a) Applying to the solid support an amplification polymer comprising (i) a plurality of multivalent binding sites having binding specificity to two or more binding sites of the analyte and (ii) a plurality of detection conjugate binding groups, wherein the amplification polymer binds to one or more non-analyte-specific binding site of the multivalent bridge conjugate, if present on the solid support;
• (b) Applying to the solid support a plurality of detection conjugates, wherein a plurality of detection conjugates bind to detection conjugate binding groups of the amplification polymer, if present on the solid support;
• and
• (c) Washing the solid support following any one or more of steps (a), (b), or (c) to remove constituents not bound to the solid support,
• wherein detection conjugates remaining bound to the solid support produce a detectable signal indicating the presence of analyte on the solid support.