Patent ID: 6670116
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method far determining the type of target nucleic acids in a sample, wherein the method is capable of differentiating free and encapsulated target nucleic acids in the sample, wherein the method comprises(a) determining a total target nucleic acid content in the sample; (b) adding a nuolease to the sample to digest free target nucleic acids in the sample to form a nuclease-treated sample; (c) determining a total target nucleic acid content remaining in the nuctease-treated sample, thereby quantifying the amount of encapsulated target nucleic acids in the sample; and (d) quantifying the total amount of free target nucleic acid in the sample by subtracting the determined amount of target nucleic acid content in the nuclease-treated sample from the determined amount of total target nucleic acid content in the sample, wherein steps (c) and (d) determine the types of target nucleic acids in the sample; differentiating free and encapsulated target nucleic acids in the sample, wherein the method comprises (a) determining a total target nucleic acid content in the sample; (b) adding a nuclease to the sample to digest free target nucleic acids in the sample to form a nuclease-treated, wherein the nuclease will not digest the encapsulated target nucleic acids; (c) determining a total target nucleic acid content remaining undigested in the nuclease-treated sample, which represents the amount of infectious pathogens in the sample; (d) quantifying the total amount of free target nucleic acid in the sample by subtracting the determined amount of undigested target nucleic acid content in the nuclease-treated sample from the determined amount of total target nucleic acid content in the sample, wherein the quantifying indicates the amount of inactivated pathogens in the sample; and (e) comparing the amounts from steps (c) and (d) to determine the proportion of infectious pathogens and inactivated pathogens in the sample.