in the context of this invention is a molecule which is known to recognize the transcription factor the competitor may be for example a double or single stranded oligonucleotide the competitor may in other embodiments of the present invention be a protein or peptide known to bind to the transcription factor the competitor further comprises a linker moiety which can be used to attach the competitor to a solid support for example the competitor may be modified or synthesized with a chemical handle such as biotin or polyt the competitors are attached to a solid support via the linker moiety either before or after incubation with the transcription factor and oligomer sets thus in one preferred embodiment biotin labeled competitor may be attached to a streptavidin coated solid support such as streptavidin coated beads or streptavidin coated plates in another preferred embodiment poly t labeled competitors may be captured on a poly a labeled solid support consequently any transcription factor which is bound to the competitor will also be bound while transcription factor bound to oligomers will not be bound thereafter the solid support is washed the percent of binding of the transcription factor to the competitor is determined by the use of an antibody which is specific for the transcription factor the antibody may detect and quantitate the set which bound the most transcription factor either by attached reporter or a secondary antibody containing a reporter in 34 competition 34 assays oligomer sets which bind the transcription factor prevent.