Method for enhancing the efficiency of an enzymatic process for removal of contaminating nucleotides

1. A method of enhancing the efficiency of an enzymatic process for removal of contaminating dNTPs or ddNTPs in a reaction mixture comprising:

a) incubating on a hydrophobic surface a reaction mixture comprising a reactant or product and a contaminant comprising dNTPs or ddNTPs from an earlier-performed reaction selected from the group consisting of an amplification reaction, sequencing reaction and genotyping reaction, and an enzyme that removes or inactivates said contaminant at a first temperature which is optimal for the activity of said enzyme;

b) raising the temperature of said reaction mixture to a second temperature which is higher than said first temperature to promote desorption of said contaminant from said surface and thereby increasing its accessibility to said enzyme, wherein a substantial amount of said enzyme is not denatured at said second temperature;

c) repeating steps a) and b) to reduce the amount of contaminant in said reaction mixture; and

d) raising the temperature of said reaction mixture from step c) to a third temperature to inactivate or denature said enzyme;

wherein said enzyme is alkaline phosphatase.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing on said hydrophobic surface a subsequent reaction comprising said reaction mixture from step d), wherein said subsequent reaction is inhibited by the presence of said contaminant.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic surface is part of a microtiter plate or microfluidics device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volume of said reaction mixture is less than 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 microliter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first temperature is 37 degrees C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second temperature is at least 10 degrees C. higher than said first temperature, wherein a substantial amount of said enzyme is not denatured at said second temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said third temperature is 94 degrees C.

8. A method of reducing the amount of unreacted dNTPs or ddNTPs in a PCR reaction mixture comprising:

a) incubating a reaction mixture comprising dNTPs or ddNTPs and alkaline phosphatase at a first temperature;

b) raising the temperature of said reaction mixture to a second temperature which is higher than said first temperature to promote desorption of said dNTPs or ddNTPs from a hydrophobic surface or an interface to increase the accessibility of said dNTPs or ddNTPs to said alkaline phosphatase and allow for the dephosphorylation of said dNTPs or said ddNTPs;

c) repeating steps a) and b) to reduce the amount of said dNTPs or ddNTPs in said reaction mixture; and

d) raising the temperature of said reaction mixture to a third temperature to inactivate or denature said alkaline phosphatase.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of performing a subsequent reaction using said reaction mixture from step d), wherein said subsequent reaction is inhibited by the presence of said dNTPs or said ddNTPs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said subsequent reaction is an amplification reaction.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said hydrophobic surface is a microtiter plate or microfluidics device.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the volume of said reaction mixture is less than 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 microliter.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said first temperature is 37 degrees C.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein said second temperature is at least 10 degrees C. higher than said first temperature, and wherein said second temperature allows dephosphorylation of said dNTPs or said ddNTPs.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein said third temperature is 94 degrees C.