Automated acquisition of aptamer sequences

While the in vitro selection of nucleic acid binding species (aptamers) requires numerous liquid-handling steps, these steps are relatively straightforward and the overall process is therefore amenable to automation. Here we demonstrate that automated selection techniques are capable of generating aptamers against a number of diverse protein targets. Automated selection techniques can be integrated with automated analytical methods, including sequencing, determination of binding constants, and structural analysis. The methods that have so far been developed can be further multiplexed, and it should soon be possible to attempt the selection of aptamers against organismal proteomes or metabolomes.