Patent ID: 7657381
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
1. A method of designing a probe set for identifying a target sequence from a plurality of target sequences by hybridization, comprising: on a specifically programmed computer, (a) selecting a first target sequence group consisting of a plurality of target sequences; (b) selecting an oligonucleotide sequence specifically binding to a target sequence from the first target sequence group as a probe sequence, wherein the oligonucleotide sequence does not cross hybridize with other target sequences in the first target sequence group; (c) selecting the target sequences having no specifically binding probe sequence from the first target sequence group as a second target sequence group; (d) selecting an oligonucleotide sequence specifically binding to a target sequence from the second target sequence group as a probe sequence, wherein the oligonucleotide sequence does not cross hybridize with other target sequences in the second target sequence group; (e) repeating operations (c) and (d) until each target sequence in the plurality of target sequences has a specifically binding probe sequence or until it is impossible to select a specifically binding probe sequence for each target sequence in the plurality because of high sequence homology among a subset of the target sequences in the plurality, and wherein when it is impossible to select a specifically binding probe sequence for each target sequence in the plurality because of high sequence homology among a subset of the target sequences, a sequence present in common in the subset, but not present in the other target sequences of the plurality, or the complementary sequence thereof, is selected as a probe sequence; and (f) displaying the selected probe sequences to a user.