Cartridge-based high-throughput purification of oligonucleotides for reliable oligonucleotide arrays

A novel, cartridge-based procedure for the efficient and irreversible detritylation of oligonucleotides is reported. This method, combined with a process for the elimination of depurinated fragments produces, in a highly parallel fashion, oligonucleotides with better purity than those traditionally obtained using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromotography purification. Our combined detritylation and purification methodology compares favorably with commercial cartridge-based purification systems. The benefits of working with pure oligonucleotides, with regard to higher signal and better signal linearity, are shown in array-based hybridization experiments.