A liquid composition comprising a colloidal suspension of a biomolecule-binding
matrix material (preferably nitrocellulose) dispersed in a liquid, with particles
of the matrix material being of a defined particle size, and replicate copies of
a biomolecule, e.g., protein or nucleic acid probes, which are distributed, preferably
uniformly, throughout the colloidal suspension and are bound to the matrix material
particles, is disclosed. The liquid composition of the invention can be used directly
for sample analysis or preparation of biomolecules, or aliquots of the composition
can be spotted onto a support to form a microporous matrix system or microarray
for analysis or preparation of biomolecules. Compositions and microarrays according
to the invention are useful in any type of analytical or preparative procedure
relating to biomolecules. They are particularly useful, e.g., in methods for detecting
a biomolecule analyte in a liquid sample, methods for determining the presence
of a particular nucleic acid sequence within a liquid sample and methods for determining
the presence of a drug candidate molecule in a liquid sample. The invention further
comprises kits for practicing the various methods of the invention.
