Patent ID: 7838655

Claim:
A synthetic oligonucleotide probe having a 5′ end and a 3′ end and comprising: at least two separate domains, the 5′ end consisting of a first domain consisting of the sequence 5′-(CTATTTT) n CT-3′ wherein “n” is at least 4, wherein the first domain does not hybridize with human nucleic acids under standard stringency conditions and, wherein the first domain is detectably labeled through at least one cytosine in the sequence, and a second domain comprising a target sequence capable of hybridizing to a DNA or RNA sequence, wherein the second domain is not detectably labeled, the beginning of the target sequence starting at the 3′ end of the first domain and the end of the target sequence being the 3′ end of the probe, and the at least two separate domains comprising one uninterrupted polynucleotide sequence.