OLIGONUCLEOTIDE COMPOSITIONS WITH ENHANCED EFFICIENCY
The oligonucleotide compositions of the present invention make use of combinations of oligonucleotides. In one aspect, the invention features an oligonucleotide composition including at least 2 different oligonucleotides targeted to a target gene. This invention also provides methods of inhibiting protein synthesis in a cell and methods of identifying oligonucleotide compositions that inhibit synthesis of a protein in a cell.
1 - 29 . (canceled)
30 . An oligonucleotide composition comprising at least three different double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides targeted to at least three different nucleotide sequences within a target gene.
31 . A method of inhibiting protein synthesis in a cell comprising contacting the cell with at least three different double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides targeted to at least three different nucleotide sequences within a target gene.
32 . A method of identifying function of a gene encoding a protein comprising: contacting the cell with at least three different double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides targeted to at least three different nucleotide sequences within a target gene and assaying for a change in a detectable phenotype in the cell resulting from the inhibition of protein expression, to thereby determine the function of a gene.
33 . A method of making an oligonucleotide composition comprising: combining at least three different double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides targeted to at least three different nucleotide sequences within a target gene wherein, the individual oligonucleotides are not separately tested for their ability to inhibit protein synthesis prior to their incorporation into the composition.