Liquid Crystal Condensation of Nucleic Acid Complexes

Upon cooling solutions or melts of nucleic acids or other polymers in which the constituent molecules exhibit a varying tendency to form multi-strand complexes and liquid crystal phases, the complex-forming oligomers preferentially separate into the liquid crystal phase and condensing into liquid crystal domains. Because the tendency for liquid crystal phasae formation correlates with the ability of the single strands to form duplexes, which in turn, depends on their degree of complementarity, separation of the liquid crystal domains thus constitutes a method for separating these molecules based upon their degree of complementarity.

This methodology may have broad application in DNA/RNA separation, identification, sequencing, or in determining the presence or absence of a particular mutation in a DNA/RNA molecule.

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