Patent ID: 6753147
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method for detecting a target nucleic acid, the method comprising the steps of:separating a sample in which a target nucleic acid is present in an amount less than about 20% relative to non-target nucleic acid in said sample, to form a plurality of assay samples; amplifying said target nucleic acid in said assay samples; hybridizing the amplification product to a first molecular beacon probe which hybridizes to the target nucleic acid and to a second molecular beacon probe which hybridizes to the non-target nucleic acid, wherein each of the first and the second molecular beacon probes comprises a photoluminescent dye and a quenching agent at opposite 5â€² and 3â€² ends, wherein the photoluminescent dye on the first and second molecular beacon probes are different, and wherein the first molecular beacon probe further comprises a stem and a loop, wherein the stem comprises about 4 base pairs having a sequence 5â€²-CACG-3â€², and the loop comprises about 16 base pairs and has a Tm of about 50-51Â° C.; and detecting the first and the second molecular beacon probes hybridized to the target nucleic acid, thereby detecting the target nucleic acid.