System and Method for Authentication and Tamper Detection Using Nucleic Acid Taggants
AssigneeSRC, Inc.
InventorsMary F. Swartz, Garrett D. Liddil, Adam J. Lowe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for authenticating an item of interest. A nucleic acid tag comprised of a nucleotide-support platform attached to a first nucleic acid molecule is added to the item of interest, where information about the item of interest is contained within the first nucleic acid molecule. A portion of an item is sampled for the presence of the nucleic acid tag, where the item is potentially the item of interest. The presence of the nucleic acid tag is detected in the sample, where the presence of the first nucleic acid tag authenticates the item as the item of interest.
Claims20
A method for authenticating an item of interest, the method comprising the steps of:
- adding to the item of interest a nucleic acid tag comprised of a nucleotide-support platform attached to a first nucleic acid molecule, wherein information about the item of interest is contained within the first nucleic acid molecule;
- sampling a portion of an item for the presence of the nucleic acid tag, wherein the item is potentially the item of interest;
- and
- detecting the presence of the nucleic acid tag in the sample, wherein the presence of the first nucleic acid tag authenticates the item as the item of interest.
A method of authenticating an item of interest, the method comprising the steps of:
- adding to the item of interest a nucleic acid tag comprised of a nucleotide-support platform attached to a first nucleic acid molecule, wherein information about the item of interest is contained within the first nucleic acid molecule;
- sampling a portion of an item for the presence of the nucleic acid tag, wherein the item is potentially the item of interest;
- providing a second nucleic acid molecule, wherein said second nucleic acid molecule comprises a fluorophore quencher;
- providing a third nucleic acid molecule, wherein at least a portion of the third nucleic acid molecule is hybridized to at least a portion of the second nucleic acid molecule, and further wherein said third nucleic acid molecule comprises a fluorophore;
- combining the sample, potentially containing the first nucleic acid molecule, with the hybridized second and third nucleic acid molecules to form a mixture;
- maintaining the mixture under conditions suitable for hybridization at least a portion of the first nucleic acid molecule to at least a portion of the second nucleic acid molecule, wherein when the first and second nucleic acid molecules hybridize, the third nucleic acid molecule is displaced, wherein if the third nucleic acid is displaced by hybridization of the first nucleic acid molecule and the second nucleic molecule, the fluorophore is no longer quenched by the fluorophore quencher;
- and
- detecting displacement of the third nucleic acid molecule, wherein the presence of displaced third nucleic acid molecule indicates the presence of the first nucleic acid tag in the sample and authenticates the item as the item of interest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.