Patent ID: 7825237

Claim:
A fluorescently-labeled reagent comprising: a reagent selected from the group consisting of a protein, a polypeptide, a polysaccharide, a nucleoside/tide, an oligonucleotide, an oligonucleotide analog, a lipid, a solid support, an organic polymer, and an inorganic polymer; and an energy transfer dye, wherein the energy transfer dye is covalently linked to the reagent and comprises: a xanthene donor dye configured to absorb light at a first wavelength and to emit excitation energy in response thereto; a non-nucleosidic linker linking the 5- or 6-position of the donor dye to the acceptor dye; and an acceptor dye configured to absorb the excitation energy emitted by the donor dye and to fluoresce at a second wavelength in response thereto, wherein the acceptor dye is selected from the group consisting of a cyanine dye, a phthalocyanine dye, a squaraine dye, and a xanthene dye having a structure of the formula: wherein: Y 1 and Y 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, oxygen, iminium and amine; each of R l1 , R 12 ,R 13 , R 14 , R 15 and R 16 is independently of one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, carboxyl, alkyl, alkene, alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, ammonium, amido, nitrile, alkoxy, phenyl and substituted phenyl; each of X 1 , X 2 and X 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, carboxyl, alkyl, alkene, alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, ammonium, amido, nitrile and alkoxy; one of X 3 or X 4 comprises the non-nucleosidic linker linking the acceptor dye to the donor dye, and when X 3 or X 4 is not the non-nucleosidic linker, then X 3 or X 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, carboxyl, alkyl, alkene, alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, ammonium, amido, nitrile and alkoxy.