Method for detection of a nucleic acid using particulate reagent having polyoxyalkylene side chains

A method for the detection of a nucleic acid comprising:

• A. forming a water-insoluble hybridization product between said nucleic acid of interest, with a reagent comprising:
• (I) a water-insoluble nonporous particle whose outer surface comprises a copolymer having recurring units derived by polymerization from:
• (a) at least about 0.5 mole % of one or more ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers having reactive groups which are, directly or indirectly, capable of reaction with an oligonucleotide having an amino or sulfhydryl group,
• (b) from about 0.1 to about 20 mole % of one or more ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers which are represented by the structure:
• ##STR3## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.1 is alkylene having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, X is hydrogen or acyl and n is 2 to 30, and
• (c) from about 60 to about 99.4 mole % of one or more ethylenically unsaturated oleophilic monomers which provide hydrophobicity to said copolymer, said monomers being selected from the group consisting of vinyl aromatics, acrylic end methacrylic acid esters and amides, butadiene, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, vinylbenzyl acetate, vinyl bromide, vinylidene chloride and crosslinkable monomers, and
• (II) said oligonucleotide covalently attached to said particle through said reactive groups, said oligonucleotide being complementary to said nucleic acid of interest, and
• B. detecting the presence of said hybridization product as an indication of the presence or amount of said nucleic acid of interest.