With an estimated 3 4 million new cases per year, human infections from Ch/aamydia trachomatis are probably the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. Diagnosis of Chlamydia is usually conducted by tissue culture methods. Direct immunofluorescence and ELSA tests have become available, but there remains a need for a test with better specificity and sensitivity. In response t o this need, we have developed a rapid DNA hybridization assay using synthetic oligonucleotide probes t o detect the presence of the Chlamydia trachomatis specific 7.4 kb plasmid. The assay involves solution phase hybridization of unlabelled probes, rapid capture of the probe-target duplex onto a microtitre dish surface, a new signal amplification technique that employs chemically cross-linked oligonucleotides, and an alkaline phosphatase labelled probe. Signal is obtained by reacting the labelled probe-target complex with an enzyme triggerable dioxetane substrate. Detection of the chemiluminescent output is performed either with a luminometer or by exposure t o instant film. All 15 serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis react positively, while organisms known t o co-inhabit the human urogenital tract react negatively. Keywords: C h I am y d ia ; so I u t i o n phase hybrid iza t i o n ; m i cro t i t re dish ; C h e m i I u m i n esce n ce ; enzyme triggerable dioxetanes