Method of nucleic acid sequence selection

A method for recovering a desired target nucleic acid molecule from an initial mixture or library of nucleic acid molecules containing said molecule, wherein said method comprises the steps:

• (A) (1) where said initial mixture or library is composed of single-stranded nucleic acid molecules, performing step (B);
• or (2) where said initial mixture or library is composed of double-stranded nucleic acid molecules treating said double-stranded nucleic acid molecules to render such molecules single-stranded, then performing step (B);
• (B) incubating the single-stranded nucleic acid molecules of said mixture or library in the presence of a haptenylated nucleic acid probe molecule, said probe molecule comprising a unique nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence of said desired target molecule;
• said incubation being under conditions sufficient to permit said probe to hybridize to said desired target molecule and to thereby generate a hybridized molecule wherein said desired target molecule is bound to said probe;
• (C) capturing said hybridized molecule of step (B) by incubating said hybridized molecule in the presence of a binding ligand of the hapten of said haptenylated probe, said binding ligand being conjugated to a support;
• said incubation being sufficient to permit said hybridized molecule to become bound to said binding ligand of said support;
• (D) separating said bound hybridized desired target molecule from unbound nucleic acid molecules;
• and
• (E) recovering said desired target molecule from said support.