Patent ID: 7358047

Claim:
A method for forming a circular nucleic acid probe comprising contacting a first target nucleic acid sequence molecule and a second target nucleic acid sequence molecule with a first nucleic acid probe and a second nucleic acid probe, wherein the nucleic acid probes each comprise a 5′ target probe region and a 3′ target probe region, wherein the 5′ target probe region of the first nucleic acid probe hybridizes to the first target nucleic acid sequence molecule, wherein the 3′ target probe region of the first nucleic acid probe hybridizes to the second target nucleic acid sequence molecule, wherein the 3′ target probe region of the second nucleic acid probe hybridizes to the first target nucleic acid sequence molecule, wherein the 5′ target probe region of the second nucleic acid probe hybridizes to the second target nucleic acid sequence molecule, wherein the target nucleic acid sequences of the first and second target nucleic acid sequence molecules are different, circularizing the first and second nucleic acid probes thereby forming a circular nucleic acid probe, wherein the gap between the 5′ end of the first nucleic acid probe and the 3′ end of the second nucleic acid probe is closed and wherein the gap between the 3′ end of the first nucleic acid probe and the 5′ end of the second nucleic acid probe is closed.