DNA affinity chromatography

Abstract

The invention is a method for separating target oligomers that are nucleic acid oligomers or analogs of a nucleic acid oligomer having a desired first subunit sequence, from impurity oligomers that is do not comprise the first subunit sequence. According to the invention, a mixture of oligomers comprising the target oligomers and the impurity oligomers, are loaded onto a separation medium under conditions such that the mixture of oligomers physically moves through the separation medium. The separation medium contains separation oligomers comprising a subunit sequence that is complementary to the first subunit sequence, and the separation oligomers are distributed in the separation medium during movement of the target and impurity oligomers through the separation medium. Conditions are controlled so that the rates of hybridization and dissociation of complementary portions of the target oligomers and the separation oligomers in the separation medium are about the same. The mixture of oligomers is allowed to move through the separation medium until the target oligomers are separated from the impurity oligomers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.