Patent ID: 7833942

Claim:
A method for obtaining a microbial specific nucleic acid of a microbial genome or microbial nucleic acid comprising: reducing the complexity of the microbial genome or a microbial nucleic acid by generating a derivative or simplified microbial genome or a derivative or simplified microbial nucleic acid in which substantially all of the positions naturally occupied by cytosines are occupied by uracil in said derivative microbial genome or said derivative microbial nucleic acid or in which substantially all of the positions naturally occupied by cytosine are replaced by thymine in said simplified microbial genome or simplified microbial nucleic acid such that said derivative or simplified microbial genome or derivative or simplified microbial nucleic acid has a nucleotide sequence which is not found in a microbial genome or said microbial nucleic acid in which substantially all of the positions naturally occupied by cytosines have not been occupied by uracil or thymine; and obtaining a microbial specific nucleic acid from the derivative or simplified microbial genome or derivative or simplified microbial nucleic acid, wherein said microbial-specific nucleic acid comprises at least a portion of said derivative or simplified microbial genome or said derivative or simplified microbial nucleic acid.