Patent ID: 8247179

Claim:
A process for detecting qualitatively or quantitatively the presence of a single-stranded or double-stranded nucleic acid of interest in a sample, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing (i) a composition of matter comprising at least two parts: a first part comprising at least one first nucleic acid primer that comprises (A) at least one first energy transfer element; and (B) a nucleic acid sequence that is complementary to a nucleotide sequence in at least a portion of said nucleic acid of interest; and a second part comprising at least one second nucleic acid primer that comprises: (A′) at least one second energy transfer element; and (B′) a nucleic acid sequence that is identical to a nucleotide sequence in at least a portion of said nucleic acid of interest; wherein said first nucleic acid primer does not comprise said second energy transfer element, and wherein said second nucleic acid primer does not comprise said first energy transfer element, said first energy transfer element is an energy transfer donor and said second energy transfer element is an energy transfer acceptor, or said first energy transfer element is an energy transfer acceptor and said second energy transfer element is an energy transfer donor, and neither the first nucleic acid primer nor the second nucleic acid primer is fixed or immobilized to a solid support; (ii) a sample suspected of containing said nucleic acid of interest; and (iii) reagents for carrying out nucleic acid strand extension; (b) forming a reaction mixture comprising (i), (ii) and (iii) above; (c) contacting under hybridization conditions said first nucleic acid primer with one strand of said nucleic acid of interest and contacting under hybridization conditions said second nucleic acid primer with the complementary strand of said nucleic acid of interest if present; (d) extending said first nucleic acid primer and said second nucleic acid primer to form a first primer-extended nucleic acid sequence and a second primer-extended nucleic acid sequence if said complementary strand is present; (e) separating said first primer-extended nucleic acid sequence from said nucleic acid of interest and separating said second primer-extended nucleic acid sequence from said complementary strand of said nucleic acid of interest if present; (f) contacting under hybridization conditions said first nucleic acid primer with said nucleic acid of interest or said second primer-extended nucleic acid sequence from step (e), and contacting under hybridization conditions said second nucleic acid primer with said first primer-extended nucleic acid sequence from step (e); and (g) detecting the presence or quantity of said nucleic acid of interest by detecting energy transfer between said first and second energy transfer elements.